Knight Errand
by One Lucky Unicorn
Summary: Are knights born, or are they made? One Freedom Fighter will discover the answer to this question as he embarks on a quest for glory.
1. Chapter 1

** "Knight Errand"**

A Sonic The Hedgehog fan-fiction

By One Lucky Unicorn

**Author's Notes:** Welcome to the new and improved version of 'Knight Errand'! Like before, allow me to state a couple of things. First of all, this story (still) focuses heavily on Antoine, so if you hate his character, turn back now. If you have issues with him but can still read with an open mind, then please, by all means continue.

Secondly, I'm not going to bother writing certain characters' accents phonetically (namely Antoine's), because in addition to generally finding such dialogue difficult to read, it's just something that I've never been crazy about.

This story doesn't follow any particular Sonic continuity. Rather, I just borrowed some of the concepts and characters from the Archie comic series, the games, and SatAM that I either like or find interesting and brewed it all together with my own ideas to create an alternate universe. As such, I've taken some artistic liberties with certain things from canon. For example, I will refer to Antoine as a coydog and not a coyote in here. I'm fully aware of the fact that he's a coyote in canon, but since having chanced across an interesting theory about his parentage on a SatAM fan site, I have decided that he will be a coydog in my story-verse instead.

As 'Knight Errand' is mostly an action/adventure story, pairings aren't really going to be focused on. I'm going to err on the side of caution and rate it a 'T' for battle-related violence and sparse usage of a few bad words. The original characters in here are my own creations. Enjou, the Mobian equivalent of Japan that is mentioned briefly, is Nikkicub's concept. On that note, I tip my hat to both her and Wingedhippocampus for several of the ideas that are presented in here. I also send love and hugs to my awesome beta Shauni, as well as the equally talented Usami for helping me to figure out where to go with KE (thank you for putting up with my TL; DR prattling, guys), and the wonderful readers who reviewed the trainwreck that was KE v.1.0.

Enjoy!

**Chapter One**

On one bright, sunny afternoon in Knothole Village, Antoine D'Coolette was making his way to the Power Ring grotto. Once he made it there, he found a comfortable spot beneath one of the large shade trees edging the clear pool and settled down at the base of its trunk. In spite of the day's mild weather, he still wore his standard attire, the distinctive blue, crimson, and gold uniform of the Acorn family's royal guard. The light brown and tawny-colored coydog's only company was a large book, its dark brown leather cover cracked in several places and well-worn from a combination of age and being read over and over again. The title, Knights Of Mobius, was displayed on the cover in bold old-fashioned gold print.

Finding the coydog somewhere by himself was hardly surprising, especially these days. For some time now, Antoine had started feeling like he really wasn't a part of the Knothole Freedom Fighters at all, but just some outsider Princess Sally had taken pity on and allowed to tag along with them. In fact, she and the rest of the team were presently out picking berries, which would be used for cooking (assuming Tails and Sonic didn't eat most of them first). Before they had left, Bunnie had asked him if he was interested in joining them, but he made up an excuse about remaining behind to guard Knothole while they were gone.

As the eldest of the active Freedom Fighters at the age of seventeen years, _he_ should've been the most respected among them (well, the most respected after his beloved princess), Antoine sourly thought, but alas, that was not the case. There hardly seemed to be anyone here in Knothole for him to really talk to. He had had friends back when he had attended the La Valette Military Academy in Mercia, hadn't he? True, he hadn't been an incredibly popular student, but there had been other boys and girls at the training school for future knights whom he often spoke to and had fun with. Those days had provided him with some of the happiest memories of his life.

So where exactly and why had his life taken a turn for the worse? Antoine had laid awake bed for hours in last night trying to pinpoint the precise moment, and now he finally believed he knew when the trouble had all started. The root of his problems lay with that miserable usurper Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

What would his life have turned out to be like had he not been forced to leave La Valette because of the war? He definitely would have been better off than he was now, that was for certain. Perhaps he would have graduated and then served as a squire under a more experienced knight in King Maximilian Acorn's court before being made a full-fledged knight himself. Maybe he would have even won the hand of Princess Sally!

Well, if Sonic was still in the picture in that hypothetical situation, then that was debatable. It would seem as though that foolish hedgehog had somehow stolen his princess's heart. It didn't take a genius like Rotor to see she obviously favored Sonic over himself. Sonic may not have been the son of a general like Antoine himself was, but his uncle Charles Hedgehog had been knighted by King Acorn, and that, along with his heroics in the Freedom Fighters' war against Robotnik, certainly lent Sonic some leverage as a potential beau for the princess.

It was bad enough that Sonic had stolen Sally from him, but to add insult to injury, Antoine was a constant target for his rival's jibes and taunts. At least he could actually give the hedgehog credit for helping him out of dangerous spots on more than one occasion before - that was certainly more respect then Sonic had ever shown Antoine. As a perfect example of the blatant contempt that Sonic held for him, a few nights ago Antoine had been returning from the village well, having just drawn some water for his supper, when he happened to pass by the open window of Sonic's hut and overheard Sonic rudely talking about him with several of Knothole's other residents and making fun of him – yet again. At first he had chalked up Sonic's antagonism to pure jealousy and an attempt to humiliate him in front of the princess, but now… well, now he wasn't quite so sure anymore.

The fact that he had been in the Kingdom of Acorn for ten years now and still had yet to master the stupid English language probably didn't help matters either. Both of his parents could speak it quite well. He found it frustrating that something that should have been easy to learn was so difficult for him to pick up. Rosie, the old beaver nanny who had watched over Antoine and the other palace children when they were younger, had tried to help him improve his English, but most of their lessons ended with him becoming too frustrated to continue.

Speaking of his parents, were it not for Robotnik, then his father and mother would have still been around and alive. The loss of his parents was one of the worst things Robotnik had personally done to him. Antoine's father, General Armand D'Coolette, who had been the head of King Maximilian's military forces before the coup, was a brave hero and a well-respected commander. Armand was said to have a real talent for war, able to create devastatingly brilliant battle stratagems and fearlessly lead his troops into combat, and had possessed the medals and decorations to prove it. In fact, it was Armand's old uniform from when he had been a young knight just starting out in the king's service that Antoine now wore in his memory. It was one of the few items belonging to Armand that had been salvaged, and Antoine greatly treasured it as a link to his father. Armand had intended for his son to become a knight in the service of the Acorns, but fate had intervened.

Lady Belle D'Coolette, Antoine's mother, had also been a well-regarded member of the royal court, known for her gentle nature and talent in both penning poetry and playing the harp. So skilled was the poodle that the king and queen would often ask her to perform at important court functions or just to soothe their nerves after a long day, and she would happily oblige her dear friends.

They had been the only family he had ever known, though Antoine did have some vague memories from when he had been a small pup of some aunts, uncles, and possibly even cousins and grandparents from both sides of the family. But he had no knowledge of their whereabouts.

Antoine didn't know what had happened to Armand or Belle after his mother had forced him to go with Rosie to Knothole Village in the Great Forest for his own safety as the castle was being swarmed by Robotnik's forces. Belle had remained behind to help the other inhabitants get to safety, while Armand was occupied elsewhere, trying to help fight off the robotic soldiers known as SWATBots that were swarming the castle. Belle had tightly embraced the nine-year old Antoine, smothering his face with kisses before tenderly wiping away both his and her own tears with her silk shawl. Then she told him to be a good boy and help Rosie keep an eye on the other youngsters. Belle watched as Rosie led the children to safety down an escape tunnel hidden deep within the bowels of the castle. The last image Antoine had of his mother was her waving at them all from the top of the stairwell.

Since that day, Antoine had seen neither his mother nor his father. A part of him deeply desired to know if they were out there somewhere alive and well, but another part of him was terrified to discover the truth. What if some terrible fate had befallen them?

Putting aside those dreary thoughts for now, Antoine opened Knights Of Mobius and began flipping through its age-yellowed pages. The book had originally belonged to Rosie, but she had given it to Antoine, knowing of his passion for the old legends about the heroics of the knights of the Kingdom of Acorn and other realms. He had already read the book thirty times, probably even more than that, but he absolutely loved the stories it contained. They provided an escape for him when he just wanted to get away from the numerous troubles that plagued him in the real world.

Long ago, the legendary knights banded together to form numerous military orders in the various kingdoms of two particular continents: the Great Continent and Meiriona. These military orders bore such illustrious names as 'The Knights of the Ruby Lance' and the 'Order of The Firebird'. They had been founded to maintain peace in their home kingdoms, and were honorable, virtuous, and fearless Mobians without peer. There had even been knights in distant lands like Enjou, though from what Antoine understood, they differed in certain aspects from the knights that he was used to. Of course, most modern-day knights either had been slain, roboticized, or gone deep into hiding thanks to Robotnik.

Antoine heaved a despondent sigh. If he had even a mere fraction of a knight's bravery and skill, then he certainly would get a lot more respect then he presently did. Presently, he found himself looking at the chapter that discussed knight-errants, knights who took up wandering in search of adventure and quests so that they could prove themselves. Next to the fame and glory that came with being a famous knight, the noble quests that they embarked on were the best parts of the stories in his opinion. From the time he had been small, Antoine had wanted to be a knight. It seemed far more exciting to actually _be_ in an adventure of his own, rather than just reading or hearing about someone else's. But now that goal seemed like a distant dream, hanging as far out of his reach as did the stars in the sky. How could someone like him ever hope to achieve knighthood? He hadn't completed his training, much less done anything to prove himself worthy of the title. Asking Sally to knight him would be simply out of the question. He didn't know what to do with himself anymore. Since he was a pup, the importance of being a strong male of courage and honor had been pounded into his head repeatedly. Now all he could think about was how miserably he had failed in that regard. It seemed like he was doomed to be the Freedom Fighters' resident laughingstock for the rest of his life.

One particular sub-section taking up two pages caught his eye. It was a story about Sir Aleron of Anjou. The ermine was one of Antoine's favorite knights. Like Antoine, Sir Aleron had been born in Anjou, Mercia's capital city, and began his career as a knight-errant. In his day, Aleron was renowned as one of the most cunning and fiercest fighters throughout the continent of Meiriona.

Antoine began to read the passage. In it, Aleron had traveled to the court of King Russell, looking to prove himself so that he might be knighted. The king called upon his knights to rescue his sister, the Lady Lunette, from the clutches of the villainous Overlord, and bade Aleron to go with them. In the ensuing confrontation, the Overlord succeeded in either besting or slaying many of Aleron's fellows until only Aleron himself was left. A giant among Overlanders, the Overlord was a truly fearsome warrior who was known to have wielded a mighty greatsword named Wrath. He and Aleron fought, and Aleron seemed outmatched by the warlord. Just when it seemed as though Aleron had seen his last day on Mobius, he tricked the Overlord into accidentally embedding Wrath into a tree stump. Aleron had then quickly slew his enemy, and with that done, went to go find Lunette.

_'"Entering the Overlord's tower, Aleron ascended up the steps to the room in which Lunette was locked in. Through the heavy door Lunette explained to him that she knew not what the Overlord had done with the key to the door. Aleron told her not to fret, and used his dagger to open the lock. As Aleron entered the room, Lunette came to gratefully embrace her rescuer._

_ "Truly I am in your debt, young sir! Who are you?" _

_ "My name is Aleron," Aleron answered with a sweeping bow._

_ "I will tell my brother of your heroism here today, and he will give you whatever reward your heart desires."_

_ "My lady, my only desire is to become a knight."Aleron earnestly replied. "I have traveled far from my home in search of adventure and a liege to whom I might pledge my services to."_

_ Lunette found his reply pleasing. "Then it shall be done, Sir Aleron." She said. The white deer remembered that her dreams had told her of a talented new knight who would arise to defend Mercia. Could this be him?' _

Antoine gave a vigorous shake of his head. For a millisecond there, the craziest idea had just crept unbidden into his mind, like a worm boring into an apple. Could it be that he looking right at the answer to his problems in this old book? But he couldn't do anything like that, could he? After all, he was no gallant knight, and had never really gone on an adventure by himself.

Still though… it looked like his situation was never going to improve if he just sat around Knothole moping. Perhaps the only way he could finally gain the opportunity to prove himself to everybody would be to follow in the footsteps of his heroes by becoming a knight-errant and embarking on an epic quest of his own.

The more he contemplated it, the better the idea was sounding. Once he was out on the road all by himself, there would be no annoying hedgehogs or anyone else around to take his well-deserved glory away. He would perform some heroic act and bring back proof of having done so, thereby impressing the princess and everyone else. Sally would have to knight him then, just like how Lunette had knighted Aleron!

* * *

Early the next morning, Antoine was parked on the floor of his always tidy hut, performing a mental check-off. He did have enough sense to gather only the essentials required for his journey: non-perishable foodstuffs, a first aid kit, a tent, a sleeping bag, a box of waterproof matches, a compass, a map of the Great Continent, and several pieces of cookware, all of which were neatly assembled before him. As for clothing, he had chosen to bring along a set of pajamas, a thick jacket, and brown leather gloves (just in case the weather turned chilly), and a raincoat. Fortunately, it was late spring, and the temperature was warming by this time. Of course, he was going nowhere without his beloved sabre.

He was also trying to weed out any unnecessary items. For instance, he had contemplated bringing Knights Of Mobius along, but considering he had many of the stories in it practically memorized by heart, finally decided against it. There was also the fact that Rosie would be displeased to learn that Antoine had potentially exposed a book to the elements, for she had taught him and the others that books were precious and should be cherished and properly cared for.

Finally satisfied with what he'd gathered, Antoine prepared to start packing everything away when, hearing a knock at his front door, his ears perked up and he stopped. For a moment he considered answering it, but then decided not to and returned his attention to the task at hand. Hopefully, whoever it was would leave. He didn't want to be discouraged from his quest by the other Knotholers, which is what he imagined would occur if they were to discover his intentions. He was content to leave a note behind on his bed explaining why he had left.

But whoever it was out there didn't leave. After several minutes of continuous knocking, there was a pause after the seventh knock. Antoine sighed in relief. It seemed that the person had finally gotten the message and given up. But then the knocking started again, becoming louder as it persisted. Finally, he relented and went to see who it was before they ended up punching a hole right through his door.

Bunnie Rabbot, Knothole's very own cyborg rabbit, stood outside, hands on her hips and a concerned expression on her face. "Antoine? Y'all alright, sugah? We ain't seen much of y'all around here lately." She asked in her heavy southern accent.

Antoine smiled, appreciating her concern. Bunnie was one of a small handful of Mobians around who Antoine felt genuinely liked him for who he was. "I am being fine, Bunnie." He answered, trying to make his response sound lackadaisical.

Craning her neck to peek curiously around her slightly taller teammate's shoulder, Bunnie spotted a knapsack on Antoine's armchair and the spread of camping gear on the floor. "You plannin' on takin' a trip or something?"

Antoine winced inwardly. '_Here I go…'_ He thought. "Well… I have decided to become a knight-errant and leave on a quest."

Bunnie's already large eyes grew even bigger with astonishment. "A quest? Like what knights go on?"

"_Oui_," Antoine nodded. "I am wishing to be completing _mes_ training so that I can finally become a knight."

"Well, that sure is an admirable goal sugah, but what if y'all run into some of Robotnik's goons? You're gonna be out there all by your lonesome."

A cold feeling of dread gripped Antoine in its jaws, but he tried to shake it off as he quietly replied, "Bunnie, I need to be doing this for myself."

"But don't you think you should've said somethin' about this to the rest of us? We'd have been worried out of our minds about you!"

Antoine found himself laughing. The bitterness in it surprised him, and he was sure it surprised Bunnie as well. "Aside from you, the princess, Tails, and Rosie, no one else would be noticing," He muttered, lowering his gaze to the floor. "Or caring."

"Now Twan, that just ain't true!" Bunnie said, moving closer to the coydog and placing her left hand, which was still flesh and blood, on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "We all would've been left wonderin' what had happened to you."

Antoine wondered if Bunnie actually believed her own words, or had merely said all that just to make him feel better. "You are probably being right," He grudgingly conceded. "But would most of them even try to look for _moi_ once they are learning I am gone? You are hearing all the things Sonic and the others say about me. They are not really being my friends." He took her hand in his. "I am thinking this quest would be good for me. It could raise my value in the other Freedom Fighters' eyes. Please be saying that you will be giving _moi_ your support, _mon ami_."

Bunnie's eyes, which still held uncertainty in their light green depths, met his pleading azure blue eyes. Finally, she sighed in defeat, but flashed him a good-natured smile. "Well, I still ain't too sure 'bout all this quest stuff, but I can't say no to a friend. Y'all got my support."

* * *

Antoine had been walking through the Great Forest for about an hour now, having left Knothole Village after telling Bunnie goodbye. She had offered to tell the others about his quest for him, which he agreed to. After all, he wasn't sure when or if his note would be discovered. While he realized that she had only been trying to warn him out of concern for his wellbeing earlier in their conversation, being reminded of Robotnik hadn't exactly helped him muster up the courage needed for the journey ahead of him, and he wasn't in the mood for listening to the other Knotholers fill his head with more fears – or laughing at his idea.

When he could just barely make out the outline of Knothole nestled amidst the foliage, he had stopped for a moment to look back at the village that he had called home for what seemed like forever. Had it really been so long since he and the rest of Castle Acorn's motley crew of refugees had sought safety there? If he couldn't successfully complete his quest, could he really bring himself to return there and continue putting up with the looks of disapproval and scorn?

As he continued on, he was careful to avoid the roadways. All Mobians knew that they were commonly traversed by Robotnik's SWATBot patrols, and he would be an easy target for capture by the robots. Instead, he walked through the thick woodland. He had never been in this part of the Great Forest by himself before. He had to admit that it was a radiant morning, and its beauty did help to take his mind off scarier thoughts. Shafts of golden sunlight pierced the spring-green canopy of trees, dappling the forest floor with bright light, and gaps in the treetops overhead revealed a vivid blue sky patched with fleecy white clouds. Flowers of all different sorts were beginning to bloom, spreading a vibrant quilt of color across the forest and meadows.

Eventually, morning transitioned into afternoon. To Antoine, it felt like he had been walking for days now. It hadn't been named the Great Forest for compliment's sake - it was a vast stretch of territory, spreading out for miles in every direction. Heaving an exhausted sigh, he plopped down at the foot of a beech tree, taking his knapsack off and setting it aside before he did. With that done, he shut his eyes and rested. The navy-blue boots Antoine wore were actually soldier's boots, made for enduring long marches, so they were perfectly suited for his excursion. All the same though, the coydog hadn't done anything this truly strenuous in a long while, and his body was definitely feeling the effects. The knapsack had started feeling unbelievably heavy on his back and hampered his pace. At this rate, if he ever did find a quest to undertake, he'd be too tired to actually do so. He suddenly found himself wishing that he possessed Sonic's immense speed or Tails' flying abilities. He wagered that he would be able to cross the Great Forest a lot faster than!

That train of thought screeched to a halt as Antoine chided himself. This was _his_ quest. He needed to rely on himself to accomplish this and no one else. He didn't want to depend on other Mobians to bail him out of trouble for the rest of his life. His parents and his teachers would be disappointed to learn that he had allowed something like a little forest to discourage him. What was that old saying? "Minding your matters?" "Head over matter?" Something like that. Whatever it was, he needed to keep it in mind whenever an obstacle was placed in his path.

Pleased with his newly-gained determination, Antoine couldn't help but smile to himself. While out questing, perhaps he could also find a way to rid himself of his accursed yellow streak. It was something that he didn't like to acknowledge, but supposed he needed to. He didn't know of any ways to become braver, but the thought of seeing everyone's faces when he finally returned to Knothole and they realized that he really was a courageous hero after all caused his smile to become a gleeful grin.

Suddenly, he thoughtfully frowned as he came to realize something. _'Exactly _what_ am I going to be questing for?'_ Surely there had to be a lady in need of rescuing or some evil monstrosity to be slain waiting out there somewhere. He supposed that he just needed to search around to uncover a task to perform.

Eventually, the evening found Antoine at a bridge spanning a rocky creek. On the other side he could see the tree line of another forest, which was disappearing into shadow as the sun was setting. His map indicated that he only had several more miles to go before he was outside the Kingdom of Acorn's borders. His princess had updated the map to show which areas were controlled by Robotnik or were otherwise potential danger zones. It had proven reliable before when the Freedom Fighters had gone out on missions (though during those moments he was usually too anxious to even glance at a map, much less read one).

It may have been pleasant going during the day, but at night, in the darkness all by his lonesome… well, Antoine knew full-well he would no longer be in the mood to admire the scenery. As he started across the bridge, Antoine decided that he would try to find a place to set up camp for the night. His aching and weary paws were grateful at the idea of being able to get some real rest.

Suddenly, Antoine stopped, cocking his head slightly as he listened. He thought he had just heard something strange from somewhere close by. There were the assorted chirps, rasping, and steady buzzing of insects hiding in the trees, and the gentle cooing of aervwingers as they came to roost for the night in the trees, all of which were normal for this time of day. The leaves on the trees and bushes gently stirred every now and then as a cool breeze blew through the air, and beneath the bridge, the water flowed over the stones, also normal.

Wait, there it was again. It was a faint sound, almost like the scratching of claws across wood. Wait… claws on wood?

He turned around just in time to see to a lizard swinging his lanky frame over the railing of the bridge. Now he was standing on the bridge with Antoine. On the opposite side of where the first lizard had appeared, another lizard was pulling himself up onto the bridge. Nervously, Antoine watched as the second lizard made it and joined his companion, who was blocking Antoine's path, his scaly arms folded across his chest as he stared the blond down. Where had they come from?

The lizards (he couldn't tell what particular species they were) looked very similar in terms of height, build, and features. Each had scales that were the color of dead leaves. However, the first one wore a red kerchief tied around his throat and a brown cap atop his head, while his compatriot had an eye patch over his right eye and was decked out in a tattered brown vest and a safari hat. Neither looked very friendly to the coydog. In fact, they both honestly looked like criminals to him. The important thing to do, he told himself, was not to allow his growing apprehension to show, as that would only make things worse. These sorts of Mobians seemed to thrive on the fear they could inspire in other Mobians, after all. So, taking a deep breath, Antoine put on what he believed was his best brave front and moved forward.

"Er, _bonjour_, gentlemen." Antoine politely nodded to each reptile as he attempted to step past them, but two clawed hands descended on his shoulders, preventing him from moving any further. Although he stood slightly taller than the duo did, their grips proved to be surprisingly strong.

"Don't you know there's a toll for crossing our bridge?" The lizard wearing red growled at him in a harsh voice that sounded as if he had smoked one too many cigarettes.

"Uh, your bridge?" Antoine asked uneasily, turning to look at the lizards.

The reptile smiled unpleasantly. "That's right."

"Get a load of this fancy get-up," The one-eyed lizard said to his friend, jabbing a pale claw at Antoine's uniform. "I bet you got some nice trinkets on you somewhere, huh furball?"

Antoine attempted to back away from the odious lizard, but found himself bumping into the other one, who had quickly sidled in behind him. Red grabbed a hold of Antoine's arms, his sharp claws digging past the thick blue cloth of his sleeve and his fur and into flesh.

"T-t-this is the uniform of King Acorn's royal guard!" Antoine nervously stammered. "So I suggest that you be letting _moi_ go!"

"Or else what, Frenchie?" One-Eye demanded with a sneer, pointing a previously unrevealed knife at Antoine's nose pad.

Or else what indeed! Even if Antoine could draw his sabre without getting stabbed in the process, would he be able to work up the courage to actually use it? His cowardice was one of the things he wanted to work on excising, but here he was, too frozen with fear to do anything other than just stand there babbling like a fool.

Suddenly, the sounds of heavy hooves pounding the ground reached everyone's ears, and a large green and gray form exploded from out of the nearby woods, making straight for the trio.

What was happening now? As a loud cry of fear (that surprisingly didn't come from Antoine) pierced the air, a cringing Antoine shut his eyes and immediately dropped to the ground. What little bit of tail he had was held low, and he covered his head with his hands in an attempt to protect himself from… well, whatever it was that was attacking them.

When Antoine hadn't experienced anything painful yet, he cautiously opened an eye, frightened of what he might see. The sight he beheld caused both eyes to fly open in astonishment.

The mysterious newcomer was in fact a draft horse clad in a hooded forest-green tunic. The exposed areas of his fur were a dark grayish-blue, nearly the same shade as a storm cloud. His unruly mane and tail were black, and a jagged white blaze streaked down the length of his muzzle. Armored shin guards, metallic silver in color, covered most of the area above his hooves. Like many of the larger species of Mobian, the horse easily towered over the lizards as well as Antoine at an impressive six foot four.

Speaking of the lizards, Red lay flat on the ground, the large iron-gray hoof on his back firmly pinning him there, while One-Eye dangled helplessly in the air as the equine gripped him tightly around the neck in one four-fingered hand.

The horse glared severely from one thug to the other. "Gentlemen," he began measuredly. Although his rough English-accented voice was soft, there was a deadly undercurrent to it, like flashes of lightning in the clouds before a thunderstorm. "I believe I have warned you before about harassing travelers…"

Red squirmed fearfully on the ground. "We were just - urk!" He grunted in pain, "… Horsing around with him!"

One-Eye tried to nod in agreement, but the large hoof-like hand around his throat made performing such an action difficult, so he settled for gasping out, "He's right!"

The horse rolled his eyes. "'Horsing around'? Is that supposed to be irony?" Sighing, he shook his head, long black forelock moving with the gesture. "Never mind, you two probably don't even know how to spell the word." He paused contemplatively before addressing the robbers again. "Tell me this, scale bellies. I have heard that if your tails are removed, then they will gradually grow back. Is this so?"

The lizards nodded, their heads rapidly bobbing up and down as both obediently answered, "Yes sir."

"I would very much like to see this for myself. Shall I?…" Gripping One-Eye's tail with his free hand and grinning wickedly all the while, the horse made as if he was going to yank the appendage right off.

That was enough for the robbers. One-Eye was dropped unceremoniously to the ground (as the horse had intentionally loosened his grasp), while Red successfully managed to free his tail and scrambled away from the horse as fast as possible. Their claws scrabbling wildly on the wooden beams of the bridge, the pair ran back the way Antoine had initially come in sheer terror.

"And if I catch either of you around here again, I will not be so merciful!" The horse roared after them.

By now, Antoine had gotten back to his feet. As he watched the criminals retreat, delighted at seeing them be humiliated, he became aware of a soft rumbling sound. He realized that it was his rescuer, chuckling to himself as he too stared off in the direction the lizards had gone. Antoine could see that the stranger was a young adult, probably a few years older than himself, and carried a longbow on his person. A canteen as well as a deep brown-colored leather scabbard embellished with a brass pattern of spiraling leafy vines hung from the brown belt at his waist, and the black hilt of a sword was visible. The fletched ends of several arrows jutted out from a quiver that was slung over his back.

"Bullies really are all the same," The horse stated. "They prey upon the defenseless, but when someone more powerful then themselves comes along, they flee as if the shades of Mephiles were at their heels." His gray eyes finally turned to Antoine. "I trust you are unhurt?"

Embarrassed that he needed to be rescued from a perilous position once again, Antoine carefully looked himself over. Aside from his pride, he was unharmed. Thankfully, that ruffian's claws hadn't rented his uniform. "_Oui_." He replied. Seeing the horse cock his large head slightly to one side in confusion, Antoine clarified, "I mean yes." Clearly he was not familiar with the French language.

"That is good," the horse said, looking pleased. "Now, the wisest course of action for you would be to stop gallivanting about dark lonely places at night and find somewhere safe to stay. Perhaps you should go speak to Digbert the mole. He lives right over there," He pointed out a beech stump on the other side of the bridge. "He's a fine fellow, does not mind having guests at all. I must take my leave now, so I bid you a good night."

With a polite dip of his head in Antoine's direction, the horse started back towards the forest. Disappointment welled up in Antoine. He didn't want to see the horse leave so soon. He was the first friendly face he encountered since leaving Knothole. There weren't been too many Mobians who had stood up for Antoine before, so perhaps this stranger could make a good ally. There was something about him that Antoine hadn't sensed in too many others before, an air that spoke of a great inner nobility and wisdom.

"Wait!" Antoine called out after the retreating figure, waving his hand in the air.

Stopping, the horse turned to gaze back at Antoine, his rather long ears angled forward in what could have either been interest or impatience, though when he spoke, his tone of voice was neutral. "For what?"

Antoine took a few steps forward. "Who are you? I am thinking it would be polite if we are at least knowing each other's names, no?"

A thoughtful look on his face, the equine nodded in agreement. "Very well, I will give you that."

Glad that the horse was willing to listen to him, Antoine bowed his head to the other Mobian before introducing himself. "I will start. I am Antoine D'Coolette."

"Well, it is an honor to meet you, Antoine," The horse said, inclining his own head in return. "I am known as Sir Edward Equinus. But just call me Edward please, or even Eddie if you like."

Hearing the title "sir", Antoine's ears perked up. "You are being a knight?"

"Yes. From Avalonia," Edward replied before quickly adding, "It is a kingdom in a distant land, so you would not have heard of it."

He was correct about that. Antoine had not heard of a place called Avalonia before, but that really wasn't what was on the coydog's mind just then. Instead, he was delighted to know that he was actually conversing with a real knight. Meeting one in these troubled times was a rarity.

"Well," Antoine slowly began, but not without a little pride as he pretended to casually study the ivory-colored claws on his left hand, trying to conceal his excitement, "I am just happening to be a _knight-errant_." Okay, so perhaps he was putting on a bit. After all, one needed to actually have the title of knight in the first place in order to be considered a knight-errant, did they not? Still, if and when Edward ever did get around to discovering the truth, hopefully he would forgive Antoine's minor exaggeration.

Edward sized him up, not bothering to hide his surprise at Antoine's declaration. "Truly?"

"_Oui_," Antoine nodded. He couldn't help sticking his chest out a little as he proudly announced, "I am looking for a noble deed to perform, so that I may be finally knighted by Princess Sally Acorn!"

With a slight grin, Edward said, "Then this is a fortuitous day for the both of us, knight-errant, for I require the aid of a fellow knight."

Could this day have gotten any better? Just when Antoine was wondering how he would find a quest to perform, one was now presenting itself to him! "Then I am your man!" He grandly declared.

"I am glad to hear it," Edward said, starting back across the bridge again. "Follow me, if you please."

French translations:

Bonjour: Hello.

Moi: Me.

Mon ami: My friend.

Oui: Yes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Antoine walked alongside Edward as the horse led him through the forest. In spite of his rough appearance, Edward moved with a regal bearing, his steps unhurried and proud. He didn't seem to concern himself over where he set his hooves, not fearing an accidental stumble into a hole or over a stone. Antoine realized that he looked quite graceless compared to Edward, and attempted to mimic the manner in which Edward walked, holding his head high and morphing his face into a mask of cool aloofness.

Finally, they came to a cave in the midst of the forest, which Edward indicated they should enter. The opening was wider then it was tall, and went in twenty-five at a slight angle. Antoine had no problems going inside, but Edward had to stoop slightly in order to enter. Once both had gone some ways inside however, Edward could stand up straight and not have his head strike the roof.

When the horse came to a halt, Antoine did as well, curiously looking around the dark interior of the cavern and then over at Edward. Why had they come here?

Edward had turned to face him. "Firstly, I feel that there are some truths I must lay out." He said, leaning down to stare Antoine right in the eye. "But before I do so, you _must_ swear to me by the sacred church bells of Binnein Mor that you will not repeat what I am about to tell you to another living soul."

Edward's gaze was so intense and stern and his tone so serious that Antoine could do nothing more than nod nervously in response. He had never heard of any sacred church bells of Binnein Mor before, but they certainly sounded like serious stuff.

Satisfied, Edward straightened back up, and then barked a single word in a strange tongue that Antoine didn't recognize. "_Solsihg_." His voice echoed hollowly throughout the cavern, and was followed by silence. Nothing happened. Antoine was confused. Was something supposed to happen?

Wondering if he was the victim of a practical joke or something, he glanced over at Edward again. He looked the same as he did before - with the exception of the spiraling iron-gray horn that now protruded from the bushy forelock covering his forehead and tapered to a sharp point. He also had a somewhat scraggly black beard draping from his chin, and his iron-gray hooves were now cloven instead of being solid like a true horse's. Although his mane still maintained its original scruffy appearance, as did the leonine tail-tuft he now sported, the hair possessed an unusually lustrous quality to it, like black pearl. Obviously, Edward was not a normal horse.

Antoine's jaw went slack as he stared at the impossible creature standing before him. Slowly, the canine pointed a shaking finger at Edward. "Y-y-y-you-you…"

Chuckling softly in amusement at the other Mobian's shocked reaction, Edward replied, "I believe the word you seek is 'unicorn'. My true name is Stormblaze Oakrune, son of Moonshadow Oakrune, great-great grandson of Lady Silver Rain Oakrune. My horse disguise is to ensure that I am not bothered by Hunters - though if some still prowl Mobius, they shall find me not so easy to slay." His lower jaw jutted out slightly, almost as if he were daring Antoine to challenge his last statement.

But Antoine still hadn't gotten over his initial surprise. "But how are you being a unicorn? They are… ex… extinguished!" He remembered how the older generation of Mobians like Rosie and the feline Cat spoke of the unicorns, wistful, faraway looks in their eyes as they related stories of a time when the mystical creatures had roved freely across Mobius. And now here was a unicorn standing right before him!

"I suppose you mean extinct? Well, we are not. I stand here as proof of that." Stormblaze serenely replied, spreading his arms slightly.

'_That is a good point.'_ Antoine mentally conceded. But the supposed extinction of the unicorns wasn't the only inquiry that he had. "Where have the unicorns been being all this time? Are you the only one left? What are you doing here?"

Stormblaze was perfectly willing to answer those questions. It wasn't surprising that Antoine was so curious about him; after all, most Mobians believed that the western unicorn race had completely vanished from the planet over seven decades ago, driven into extinction by the human-like Overlanders who coveted the unicorns' precious horns. It was widely known that the horns of all unicorns possessed great healing and mystical properties. A unicorn could heal wounds and many different kinds of diseases by just touching the afflicted creature with their horns. Furthermore, any toxin that came into contact with a unicorn horn would dissipate and therefore be made harmless, and the horn could also act as conduit for mystical energy. Some even said that drinking the blood of a unicorn could grant immortality. While many Mobians respected the noble unicorns, who often served as the guardians of wild places and would use their powers to help their fellow creatures, the Overlanders grew greedy and began actively hunting the unicorns. Countless unicorns had fallen victim to the specially-designed lethal weapons and traps that Overlander Hunters employed to capture and kill them. In fact, their brutal slaughter was one of several factors behind the origins of the infamous Great War, a vicious series of battles between the Mobians and the Overlanders that had lasted for years and years.

"One question at a time, please." Stormblaze gently censured. "Now, to answer your first question, thankfully no. I and others of my kind live on Avalonia. It's a hidden island off the coast of Mercia. Unfortunately, as far as I know, we are the only glory – that's a herd of unicorns - left. But I believe there is a possibility that other unicorns are living in hiding elsewhere on Mobius, and this is partly why I left Avalonia. I desire to know if we are truly the last of our kind."

Antoine was going to remark that he himself as well as everybody he knew had neither seen nor heard of any reports of a single unicorn sighting for years, but then thought better of it and held his tongue as Stormblaze continued on with his story.

"Recently, I returned to Avalonia because a good friend requested my presence there. As he explained to me, the Deep Power Stones were stolen -"

"Deep Power Stones? What are those being?" Antoine interrupted. He had taken a seat on the ground and was peering keenly up at Stormblaze. He flinched, then tried to smile apologetically when Stomblaze gave him a reproachful glance.

"I was going to explain, actually. The Deep Power Stones are a set of mystical jewels that my glory has protected for centuries. They can be fitted together like puzzle pieces, and depending on how they are combined, can either cause great destruction or grant great power to the wielder. The Stones were first discovered by Pantalaimon the Wanderer, who decided that they should be placed in our protection least some fiend use them for evil."

Stormblaze didn't really need to explain who Pantalaimon the Wanderer was. A warrior who eventually put down the sword to became a monk and a scholar, he was a unicorn who had lived in the dawn of Mobius' medieval era. Although Pantalaimon, who was also simply known as "The Wanderer", was a somewhat mysterious figure in the annals of history as far as his personal life went, he was regarded by both unicorns and non-unicorns alike as one of the noblest creatures ever to walk Mobius, famed for his extensive knowledge of nature and acts of compassion and valor.

"We believe that the Stones were stolen by a sorcerer by the name of Matthias Poe. I do not know much about him, other than the fact that he was a member of the Order of Ixis. The Order of Ixis is, or rather was, a cult of sorcerers, heavily involved with fell magic and other things of that foul nature. My people and our allies have done battle with them several times before in the past, but were never quite successful at completely eradicating them. It is feared that Poe will use the Stones to carry out his cult's wicked schemes. I have been tasked by Queen Cassiopeia Autumnstar with the duty of finding Poe and recovering the Deep Power Stones so that they can be returned to their rightful place."

"How was Poe being able to get to Avalonia in the first place?" Antoine asked. "You said that no one knew unicorns were still around."

"The bards of Avalonia are just as bewildered by that as you are. He must be a sorcerer of some power indeed." With a sigh, Stormblaze glanced over at the cave's darkened entryway. Outside, he could see that night had finally fallen across the forest. "Well? Still interested in assisting me on my venture?"

"_Oui_, very much so!" In spite of his two earlier interruptions, Antoine had listened to Stormblaze's story in rapt fascination. It sounded like something right out of a legend. It would make a perfect quest for him!

Stormblaze chuckled appreciatively at his eagerness. "Excellent. Shall we shake on it then, Master D'Coolette?" The unicorn proffered a hand that was nearly the size of a dinner plate towards Antoine, who took it and shook it vigorously. Once they had sealed their deal, Stormblaze curiously regarded the coydog. "So what of you, friend? What is your tale?"

"My tale?" Taken off-guard by the question, Antoine had to think for a moment. Ironically, for all of his knowledge of etiquette and manners, Antoine had the bad habit of engaging in a behavior that was frowned upon in the world of fine manners – boasting. If he wanted to get on the path of becoming a true hero like his father, then he couldn't just very well say that he was a misfit hoping to improve his standing among his peers so he could be knighted. It didn't sound like a very good thing to say if you were looking to impress somebody. When he finally did answer Stormblaze, he stood and tried to sound casual as possible.

"Oh, uh, it is not that interesting, just that I am from Knothole Village in the Kingdom of Acorn. I am the son of General Armand and Lady Belle D'Coolette, and am also being the personal guard of the esteemed Princess Sally Acorn," As he got going, he felt his little white lie flowing out easier and easier.

"None of the other Freedom Fighters are being as wise and cautious as I am. Why once, when the princess was captured by Robotnik, I had to adventure deep into the enemy's territory and rescue her before she was roboticized. Double handily!" He added for good measure, placing a hand on his chest in a show of pride. "Then, another time, I and one of my young _compagnons_ were being lost deep within the stomach of the forest. It was very dark and scary, and the angry spirits of the woods were hotfooting on our trails for trespassing on their land, but I was prevailing and led us both to safety!"

Stormblaze raised his dark eyebrows at Antoine's dramatic narrative. "Is that so? Then how come you have not yet been knighted?"

"It is because Princess Sally is seeming to be besotted by this foolish hedgehog named Sonic," The coydog harrumphed. "I do not know why - he is being pompous and… ri-rid-rid…"

"Ridiculous?"

"_Oui_, yes! Very ridiculous. But I am thinking that once I go upon this noble quest with you, she will be appreciating _moi_ more." Antoine grinned with pure delight at the thought.

"Indeed." Stormblaze replied rather flatly as he watched Antoine daydream, his expression unreadable.

* * *

Exhausted by all of the excitement of the day, it had taken Antoine no time at all to fall asleep. He lay curled up in his sleeping bag on the floor of the cave. Nearby, Stormblaze's muscular form was stretched out on a pile of dry grass, moss, and leaves that he had collected to create a makeshift pallet for himself.

Sleep had not yet claimed him. Instead, the unicorn lay awake by the glow of the fire, thinking as he watched the vermillion flames in the fire pit dance to some unheard rhythm.

While unicorns did not possess a dragon's power to discern truth from lies, they did have a power that could function in a similar matter: telempathy. Telempathy allowed them to sense the emotions of other living beings, among a few other tricks. One of these tricks included knowing when said beings weren't being honest. Stormblaze's own telempathy told him that Antoine had grown stressed when questioned about his past. That stress, Stormblaze guessed, stemmed from lying about being a great hero. It wasn't hard for him to arrive at that conclusion. After all, Antoine had been lying on the ground shaking like a leaf when Stormblaze had first come upon him and the lizard bandits. Hardly the actions of any self-respecting, daring knight-errant. Not just that, but it had taken him too long to answer the question in the first place, and when he did finally answer, he wouldn't make eye contact with Stormblaze, almost always looking elsewhere instead. He had seen such behavior before in other Mobians who were being deceitful.

It was disappointing. Here Stormblaze had been hoping to get some real assistance on his journey, only to have some silly little blowhard latch onto him in some misguided scheme to attain glory instead. While Stormblaze was tough and knew more about the outside world than any other Avalonian unicorn did, he also understood that his knowledge wasn't absolute. He was going into a situation that he didn't know much about, other then what Queen Cassiopeia and the bards had already told him. Once he actually found Poe, he might be out of his league in apprehending the sorcerer. Aside from his great strength, telempathy, and healing abilities, powers that all unicorns had, as well as the skills he gained from his training as a warrior, he did not possess magic like that which a sorcerer or bard employed.

The idea of returning to Avalonia empty-handed and further being branded a failure for not being able to reclaim the Deep Power Stones was too much for the stag. As if most of his glory didn't already regard him with contempt.

Getting to his feet, Stormblaze made his way to the mouth of the cave, being careful not to awaken Antoine, and disappeared into the night.

* * *

"… An' then he took off just like that!" Bunnie finished explaining to a small crowd consisting of Sally, Sonic, Dulcy, and Rotor. Presently, they were all leisurely congregating on the lawn outside their respective huts, having just finished breakfast. Sometime after Antoine had set off, when Bunnie knew that most of her friends had arisen for the day, the cottontail rabbit went to inform them of his plans.

From where he lounged on the grass, Sonic gave a derisive snort. The idea of Antoine running around by himself in the wilderness thinking he was a knight from some silly fairy tale was pretty laughable to him. For crying out loud, the guy practically jumped at the sight of his own shadow! "I wondered why it was so quiet 'round here today. Anyone wanna bet that old Ant'll be back in a couple of hours whining about how it was 'being too hard for him'?" He asked, mimicking the coydog's strong French accent.

Rotor the walrus and the young dragon Dulcy both chuckled, amused by their hedgehog friend's antics. "I'll bet he's back in thirty minutes." Rotor remarked.

"I thought Antoine seemed a little down and out lately, but I never imagined he would go and do something like this." Sally thoughtfully commented from where she sat. She turned to the rest of her companions. "Should we form a search party and go after him?" As annoying and disruptive as Antoine could be, especially with his attempts at flirting with her, the chipmunk/ground squirrel didn't hate him either, and didn't really like the idea of him running around by himself with no aid whatsoever nearby. Sometimes it seemed like he could barely take care of himself in spite of his age.

"I don't he wants anyone comin' after him, Sally-girl," Bunnie said. "He barely wanted to tell me. I'm kinda worried about him, to be honest."

"Aww, who cares? He knows the way back," Sonic dismissively said as he waved a white-gloved hand, after moment adding, "At least I think he does. Now, don't we have some upcoming spy mission to Robotropolis to talk about or something?"

* * *

It was Antoine's nose that woke him. The sharp tang of burning wood tickled his nostrils, causing him to sneeze, and slowly he opened his eyes. Seeing sunlight streaming into the cave, he realized it was morning. For a moment, he was confused about his whereabouts until yesterday's events came rushing back to him and he recalled where he was. He was amazed that he had come this far by himself without any help. Smugly, he thought to himself that perhaps he wasn't as weak and dull-witted as others made him out to be. He also felt privileged to be in the presence of a member of a highly-regarded long lost race. _Of course_ he would be the one Freedom Fighter who would make contact with a unicorn!

Aside from burning wood, Antoine could also smell the delicious scent of something cooking wafting through the air, although he couldn't quite identify what it was. Yawning, he sat up and stretched his lanky arms overhead before noticing that Stormblaze had a small fire going in the same spot where the campfire had been built the night before. A tripod had also been constructed, and a pot was suspended from it over the blazing fire. Stormblaze was tending to the pot's steamy contents, stirring it occasionally. Realizing that Antoine was up, he turned in the coydog's direction and smiled.

"Ah, you have awakened. I hope you do not mind my using some of your cookware."

"No, it is being fine." Antoine replied, climbing out of his sleeping bag as he was reminded of just how hungry he was. "I am thinking that I have not bought enough silverware though."

"It won't be a problem. You may use them. After all, they do belong to you. I've managed without silverware before." Stormblaze ladled what Antoine guessed to be stew into a bowl for him and then served himself before handing the spoon to Antoine. The unicorn sat down next to Stormblaze on a log that he had bought into the cave to serve as impromptu seating. Curiously (and maybe a little apprehensively), Antoine peered down at the thick, chunky brown concoction in his bowl.

"What is in this?"

Stormblaze was blowing on his stew to cool it down. Stopping, he wryly remarked, "Not used to rustic cooking, are we?"

"Well, this is being my first time at ruffling it." Antoine replied a touch defensively.

"Roughing it, you mean?" Stormblaze said.

"_Oui_. Back home, I could be getting vegetables from the garden, and we are having many different foods to choose from in our pantries." Knothole didn't exactly have everything – they were in the middle of a war, after all – but he thought they had a rather nice selection of food, all things considered.

"Well, I am afraid that out here one must often make do with what nature provides you. In regards to your question, the ingredients I used were several different kinds of plant roots, wild onions, stream water, and mushrooms. Just be happy I chose to omit the tree bark this time."

His curiosity sated (he didn't want to be eating something like swamp water and twigs without knowing it, after all), Antoine dug in. It wasn't quite as good as his own cooking of course, but he still had to give Stormblaze credit for the hearty meal. He decided to help himself to a second bowl. Stormblaze was soon on his third, holding his bowl up to his lips and tipping the stew back into his awaiting mouth.

Stopping and swallowing, he spoke up again. "Before we depart today, I have one last piece of business to attend to here."

Antoine looked at Stormblaze questioningly. "What kind of business?"

"There is a local thug by the name of Bogg who lives in the hills nearby. He is a dozen times worse than those two blockheads you ran into yesterday at the bridge. Once, he robbed a group of travelers, then buried them up to their necks. In butcher ant mounds." He added, emphasizing the last part.

That got Antoine's attention. He stared at Stormblaze, horror written on his features. "He _what_?"

Stormblaze nodded solemnly. "Oh yes. If you please, I would prefer not to go on – after that point, it's far too terrible a tale to speak of." Shutting his eyes, he gave a rueful shake of his head.

That was perfectly fine with Antoine. He had the feeling that he would be having nightmares for weeks if he heard the rest of that story. "Are you actually to be fighting this scoundrel?" He asked before having another spoonful of stew.

"You and I, yes."

Antoine began choking wildly, spraying soup everywhere. "What?" He managed to gasp out in a strangled voice after a minute or so.

Stormblaze gave him a concerned look. "Oh, is the stew too spicy? I have some water if you desire some."

"_Pas_, I will be alright," Antoine replied after coughing some more. "D-d-d-did you just say that the both of us will be fighting him?" He stammered.

"Well, yes," Stormblaze gave a matter-of-fact shrug. "You said you were a great warrior back in your village, did you not? Unless you were exaggerating..." He stared pointedly at Antoine.

"Er, _pas_. Never!" The coydog vehemently shook his head, trying to ignore the little voice in his head telling him to quit while he was ahead. Oh, what had he gotten himself into now? "Of course I am being a great warrior! You have my sword!"

Stormblaze smirked mirthlessly. "Very well then."

* * *

Now that breakfast was done with, Antoine got prepared for the day. He and Stormblaze packed up their supplies and made sure to put the fire out before leaving the cave. Antoine then followed Stormblaze as they headed into the hillier country where Bogg was supposed to live. Perhaps this fight wouldn't be as dangerous as Antoine thought. After all, Stormblaze would be there with him, and he had heard that unicorns could be quite fierce when angered. That longbow of his was taller than Antoine himself was, and he certainly looked as if he could wield his sword like a tried and true warrior.

However, when Antoine actually caught his first glimpse of Bogg, his hopes died faster than a flower in deep winter. Stormblaze indicated to Antoine that they should stop, and they took cover in a ravine behind a dense coppice of brush and young trees. Noticing a large dark-colored object further down the slope ahead of them, Antoine pointed it out to his companion.

"Is he being behind that boulder?"

"Boulder?" Stormblaze laughed. Before they had started out, he had called upon his magical illusion, which Antoine learned was called a 'glamour', and now appeared to be a draft horse again. "That's no boulder, that's him."

Antoine's ears drooped, and, wide-eyed with dread, he stared at Bogg. Stormblaze gave no sign of having noticed this or the canine's sudden silence. Instead he whispered, "Well, you have seen battle before. How would you propose we do this?"

"Er… I…" Antoine really couldn't think just then, being more focused on the frightful thought that this day might very well be his last on the planet, so Stormblaze took the liberty of offering a suggestion.

"Since the sun is to our backs, perhaps we can use that and the surrounding cover to our advantage and use a stealthy approach?"

"_Oui_, _oui_! That is sounding good!" Antoine quickly answered. "I will be, um, b-bringing up the rear in case he is circulating around us."

Smiling, Stormblaze gave a nod of concurrence. "What a wise idea."

As the duo slipped down the hill, drawing ever closer to their target, they could see that Bogg, who was a burly brown bear standing slightly taller than Stormblaze, appeared to be in the process of cleaning his den out. When he finally caught sight of them, Bogg snarled and pointed a large sharp claw in Stormblaze's direction. "You! I told you if I ever saw your mangy hide around here again, I'd tear you to shreds!"

Stormblaze smirked defiantly at the bear. "Not likely, you tub of rancid lard. For you see, I have returned with a great warrior at my side." He indicated Antoine, who timidly peered from behind him at Bogg. "Make no mistake, this will be the last dawn you'll ever see."

Bogg gave a thunderous roar of laughter, showing off his many large pointed teeth as he did. "Come on then! I've eaten many things before, but never a horse and a coyote!"

Stormblaze knelt beside Antoine, his expression deathly serious. "Antoine, I know that your skills as a warrior are unparalleled. Do you wish to attack first?"

"Uh, w-w-well, I…" Antoine trailed off, his heart racing a mile a minute. He wanted adventure, true, but this was all happening too fast for him to process. He kind of wanted the adventure to happen on his own terms.

Again Stormblaze took the liberty of answering for him. "Oh, so you wish for me to soften him up for you first? Very well then." Grim determination on his face, Stormblaze stood and faced down the ursine.

"Watch out Bogg, here I come!" He roared before charging straight towards his foe as Antoine looked on, aghast. He couldn't very well stand by and let Stormblaze fight that monster all by himself, but how on Mobius could he fight someone as big and powerful as Bogg? All the bear had to do was swipe at him one time and he'd be a messy splatter of blood and fur on the ground.

Unable to witness what would doubtless be a scene of carnage and brutality, the trembling coydog shielded his eyes with his hands and gritted his teeth, waiting to hear the horrific sounds of combat: snarls, breaking bones, screams… laughter?

Antoine peeked out from between his fingers. Bogg and Stormblaze were rolling around on the ground, holding their stomachs as they roared with laughter!

Wiping away a tear that was running down his face as his mirth finally began to subside, Bogg glanced over at Stormblaze. "That was some truly awful acting, Eddie. But really, 'tub of rancid lard'? Jeez, laying it on kinda thick there, weren't you?"

"Oh shut up," "Eddie" good-naturedly retorted as he got to his hooves. "You know I said we had to make it look as real as possible."

Antoine stared at the strange scene in confusion and disbelief. Hadn't they been ready to kill each other only seconds ago? "W-wha – I thought -" He sputtered like an old car engine.

"It was all just an act, kid." Bogg said, looking his way. He seemed slightly less frightening when he wasn't bellowing at the top of his lungs and threatening someone, but Antoine was still a little leery of him. "No hard feelings."

Antoine couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But… but why would you be tricking _moi_?"

Stormblaze fixed him with a frosty glare. "Because you were being a deceitful little braggart, that is why. Any fool with half a mind could have seen through those absurd stories you told about saving the princess and what not. So I recruited Bogg here to help me teach you a little lesson."

"So the stories about him being a robber and putting people in butcher ant mounds -?"

"Are completely false." Stormblaze finished. "Bogg is inclined to talk your ear off more than anything."

Bogg shot Stormblaze a flabbergasted look. "You told him I stuck people in butcher ant mounds?"

Stormblaze shrugged. "I had to make you sound frightening, did I not? Anyways Bogg, I thank you for your assistance here today, but I must be going." Stormblaze gave Bogg's meaty paw a firm shake before sending another scathing look in Antoine's direction. "And you - let that be a lesson to you about bragging and lying."

And with that, he was off.

* * *

After Stormblaze's revelation, Antoine remained where he stood, rooted to the spot in his shock. His mouth hung open as he stared after the departing unicorn. He couldn't believe Stormblaze had tricked him like that. To think that Antoine had actually trusted him! He thought that unicorns were supposed to be noble and benevolent. They didn't go around pretending to be nice and tricking innocent Mobians. Stormblaze was no better than Sonic. In fact, Antoine thought that if Sonic had been the one to encounter Stormblaze instead of himself, then the hedgehog would have likely never gotten himself into such a situation in the first place. He and Stormblaze would have become the best of friends, and the unicorn would be yet another Mobian who believed Sonic was the best thing since the discovery of the Power Ring.

Bogg offered him a sympathetic look and a bit of pickled salmon, but Antoine politely if somewhat snippily refused (one look at those claws of his reminded him that he would be wise not to get _too_ sharp with Bogg) and stormed off in the opposite direction of where Stormblaze had left, glowering darkly the entire time. He wanted to get as far away from the scene of his disgrace as possible and return to his true quest. While he didn't really want to, he couldn't help but continue to ruminate on the bad turn his brief partnership with Stormblaze had taken.

This wasn't the first time Antoine's boasting had backfired on him. But this time, he had managed to alienate someone who could have helped him in his quest and even become a potential friend, something Antoine seemed to be lacking in. For one thing, even in the short period of time that they had spent in one another's company, Antoine had come to notice that Stormblaze had far more patience with him then most of the Freedom Fighters usually did. For example, he never seemed to become annoyed with Antoine for mispronouncing or misunderstanding some English expression or word, or pointedly ignored him when he did, but calmly corrected him instead. Stormblaze had also chosen to reveal his true identity to Antoine, a potentially risky move on his part. He was fortunate that Antoine was not in Robotnik's employ. Did that mean that he actually trusted Antoine with his secret? No one had ever really treated him like a confidant before, not since he had left La Vallette anyways.

Antoine hated to admit when he was wrong, but… could it be possible that he was actually the one at fault here? If he had just been honest in the first place, then perhaps things would have turned out differently.

"_Stupid, stupid! How could I have done something so stupid?"_ Running his fingers through his blond hair with a light groan, he realized that he was going to have to swallow his pride if he wanted to become one of the greatest knights that Mobius had ever seen before. He abruptly switched directions, racing as fast as his gangly legs could carry him back to the area where he had last seen Stormblaze walking.

Frantically, Antoine's eyes raked the hills for the unicorn. Sure enough, there was Stormblaze, still trudging off in a southerly direction. Antoine took off after him, trying to avoid the gullies and other natural obstacles in his path. Although he still managed to stumble a couple of times, he quickly picked himself back up again and continued pursuing Stormblaze. He couldn't lose his chance of finally being able to become a knight!

"Stormblaze, wait!"

Stormblaze gave no sign of having heard him, although Antoine didn't doubt that he was intentionally ignoring him. Putting on an extra burst of speed, he finally managed to catch up with Stormblaze, and dared to reach out and grab the hem of his tunic.

Stopping, Stormblaze glared coldly at the coydog who was looking back at him with a pitiful expression. "I do not have time to stroke your ego or play childish games, pup." He growled. "The task I have is very important. All of Mobius may depend on it."

Antoine released his grip on Stormblaze's tunic and hung his head. "You are right. I am very sorry for lying." When Stormblaze did not immediately respond, he continued. "Was it being that obtuse of a lie?"

For a moment, Stormblaze levelly regarded him, trying to decipher Antoine's mixed-up English in his mind. "I suppose you mean obvious?" He finally answered. "Well, my telempathy told me you were being dishonest about something, and truthfully, your behavior at the bridge did not strike me as being very knight-like," He gave a shrug of his broad shoulders. "So I put two and two together."

"You were lying about being a horse." Antoine sullenly mumbled under his breath.

"I am forced to use a glamour for my own protection. I most certainly do not pretend to be a horse for the fun of it, so _do not_ try to compare the two." Stormblaze sternly retorted.

Feeling Stormblaze's harsh glare on him, Antoine didn't look up or attempt to mount another argument in his defense. After a moment of silence between them, Stormblaze asked, "Why did you feel the need to obscure the truth of your situation? You are far too old to behave in such a manner." This time, he sounded more curious then angry.

Deeply embarrassed, Antoine could only awkwardly rub the back of his neck. He absolutely _hated_ being scolded like he was ten years old again. It was somehow worse when it was someone close to his own age doing the scolding. "I just did not want to look like the fool, like I am always seeming to," he confessed. "I am no great hero back home. I am always being the butter of the joke instead, and was not wanting you to laugh at _moi_ either." In spite of himself, he could feel a lump forming in his throat. That was just great. The last thing he wanted to do was break down in front of Stormblaze.

Antoine avoided Stormblaze's eyes, instead focusing on the front of his uniform and pretending to brush dust from it. "I will be leaving now." He mumbled in a defeated tone.

Turning to go, he was taken aback when he suddenly felt himself being lifted up off the ground by the crimson collar of his uniform. The coydog's ears fell back against his head as he was brought face to face with Stormblaze, who bore a serious expression as he fixed the nervous Antoine in his gimlet gaze.

Finally, Stormblaze spoke. "You may come with me. But I will have no more of these falsehoods or empty boasts, do you hear me?"

Antoine could scarcely believe his ears. He blinked a few times before quickly perking up and finding his voice again. "_Merci beaucoup_! You have _mes_ promise!" He happily proclaimed, his bobtail wagging with puppy-like delight. Throwing a hasty salute, he added, "You will not be regretting this, _monsieur_!"

"I hope not." Stormblaze set Antoine back down. Sitting down on a nearby rock, he leaned forward, arms folded over his knees as he faced Antoine. "Now, let us try this again. What is your tale? Your _real_ one?"

Taking a deep breath, Antoine grudgingly began, starting off with his parents and their ambiguous fates, then moved onto his problems in Knothole and what inspired him to leave in search of a quest. He didn't cover every single thing that had ever happened to him in his lifetime, but did give a more truthful account about himself. He was surprised not to see Stormblaze sniggering or eying him in silent disapproval or anything like that. Instead, he merely nodded at certain points, but mostly remained stone-faced and silent, though at certain intervals, such as when Antoine mentioned the bullying he often received at Sonic's hands and the love triangle between himself, Sonic, and Sally, his expression grew strangely pained.

"… Since my papa was being such a great hero, I am wanting to be just like him, so I can carry on his legacy." Antoine finally finished. He had since gotten comfortable, sitting down on a soft patch of grass. By that time, the sun had rose high in the sky, signaling that it was now noontime.

Stormblaze gazed somberly at him. "You should not have feared ridicule by telling me the truth of your circumstances. We have more in common then you realize."

Astounded, Antoine stared at Stormblaze. What on Mobius would he have in common with a unicorn knight of all things? "We do?"

Stormblaze turned away to look out over the landscape from atop the crest they were on, towards the broad green meadows, forested knolls, and winding roads in the distance. There was a faraway look in his gray eyes as he started to speak.

"The other reason that I chose to leave Avalonia is because I feel as though I do not truly belong there. I am not like the other unicorns in my glory. I do not fear and despise the outside world as they do. Rather, I have always wanted to travel across Mobius and see its many lands for myself, like the Wanderer. This has always made me an outsider among them. Also, my family's name has been blackened by vile rumors, and that gives my fellows another reason to shun and deride me." Turning to face Antoine, he continued. "This is why I wish to seek out other glories, to find a place where I can finally be accepted for who I am."

At first, Antoine didn't know what to say. Now he was glad he had told Stormblaze the truth. To think that only yesterday he had believed that there was no one out there who could understand him. But now he had met someone who knew what it was like to be a pariah in their own home and was seeking acceptance. It was odd how fate worked sometimes.

There was a troubling factor to Stormblaze's story as well. Everyone had always said unicorns were kind and just beings, so to hear of them mistreating one of their own was a startling revelation. He was tempted to ask Stormblaze just what sort of rumors were spread about his family, but then got the impression that it might be better if he waited a while before further questioning him about the matter. Stormblaze might not be willing to share such a personal subject with him just yet.

"If you like, I could be helping you find other unicorns." Antoine offered. "And if we cannot, then maybe you can be coming back to Knothole with _moi_? The princess would allow it, I am sure."

Stormblaze allowed himself a slight smile as he listened to Antoine's attempt at making him feel better. Perhaps this _coimtrioch_ wasn't as self-centered as he had initially thought.

"Thank you. I appreciate your offer," Stormblaze said, getting up. "But first, let us focus on the tasks at hand - recovering the Stones, and helping you out."

Translations:

French:

Compagnon: Companion.

Merci beaucoup: Thank you very much.

Mes: My.

Pas: No.

Words used by Stormblaze:

Coimtrioch: Foreigner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Antoine returned to the cave where he had spent the night to retrieve his knapsack, which he had almost foolishly forgotten about during his bout of anger at Stormblaze's deception. With that done, he and Stormblaze were off. It was a fresh new start for them both, and Antoine was eager to get on Stormblaze's good side after his earlier _faux pas_.

"What is it that we are to be doing today, Stormblaze?" He asked as he and the unicorn strolled side by side through the forest.

"We will be going south, to a small hamlet called Rose Creek," Stormblaze replied. He had been pleased to discover that Antoine had a map on his person, as prior to meeting Antoine he had to rely on directions from other Mobians who he ran into. Good maps could be hard to come by in these times, as he had discovered. "I have learned that there is a former member of the Order of Ixis living there, and would like to question him regarding Poe and his plans."

"Like an interrogation, _oui_?" Antoine thoughtfully asked.

Stormblaze shrugged casually. "More or less."

"I have never been interrogating someone before. Is it being hard?"

"That depends. Have you ever cut off someone's ear in order to force him to talk before?"

When Antoine froze, staring at Stormblaze in horrified disbelief, the unicorn quickly raised his hands, an apologetic look on his face. "It was only a joke. I would never do anything like that."

Antoine relaxed. "Do not be scaring _moi_ like that!" He scolded Stormblaze, who began laughing.

Managing to rein his amusement in, Stormblaze replied, "Alright, alright, I apologize. No harm was meant."

Antoine wasn't particularly mad at Stormblaze for his little joke just then - now, rather annoyed, sure. He himself had never been much for making jokes, after all. But he couldn't remain irritated for long, as he was still eaten up with curiosity about his traveling companion. Unless he was deliberately ignoring someone, long silences were not comfortable for Antoine. Therefore, he was quick to speak to up once more. "I was telling you about _mon_ family earlier, but you have not been saying much about your own. I would like to be hearing more about them. Um, if you are not minding speaking of them, that is."

"Never shy away from asking questions. They are a good way of learning," Stormblaze sagely stated. "If I find your inquiry too forward or personal, then I simply shall not answer it."

Emboldened by this response, Antoine asked, "What are your father and mother being like? Are you having any siblings?"

"I am an only child, and have never known what it is like to have a sibling. Both my parents still live. My father serves as a knight in the queen's war band, and my mother serves as a professional healer. My father believes that I am only trying to flee my problems on Avalonia by leaving. I merely do not see any point in continuing to live in a place where a majority of the populace loathes me."

"Are you and your father not getting along then?"

Stormblaze gave him a sidelong glance. "I do not dislike my father or anything like that, if that is what you are inquiring. We simply do not see eye-to-eye on certain matters."

"It is being good that you and your father are not hating one another. I think it is sad when anyone does not like their own parents."

"Well, I have heard tell of and known some Mobians who possess reasons for hating their parents that are actually quite valid, but I believe that you are ultimately right."

As they continued to pleasantly chat with one another, Stormblaze found that he liked talking with Antoine. When not being pretentious like he was before when talking about his imaginary exploits, Antoine was actually an interesting and surprisingly honest conversationalist, even if he tended to be overly serious and naive. Earlier, Stormblaze wondered if he had gone too far with his trick. True, Antoine was full of himself and had tried to deceive him, but ultimately he was harmless. Still though, perhaps the ruse had served its purpose of teaching him that puffery was a fool's game.

Stormblaze decided that it would be prudent to try and determine where Antoine's talents lay. If he was to be teaching him, then he needed to know what specific areas Antoine needed help in and whether or not he had any skills under his belt already. "What of your strengths?" He suddenly asked.

Somewhat surprised by the query, Antoine craned his head to look up at Stormblaze. "You mean how strong I am being? Not very."

Stormblaze shook his head. "Not that sort of strength. I mean what sorts of skills and talents do you possess?"

"Um…" Antoine thought for a minute. "Nothing. I am not super-fast like Sonic, I am not brave, I cannot fly, and I am not a good leader. I was trying to help one of my _mon amies_ in his workshop before, but I messed that up too." His ears drooped at the memory.

"Everyone has something that they're good at," Stormblaze said reassuringly. "Take me for example. I've trained in the use of the longbow since I was ten summers. Now I can shoot an apple off of someone's head from over fifty feet away." Smiling slightly, he mimed firing a longbow.

Wide-eyed, Antoine regarded Stormblaze. That _was_ an extraordinary feat. "How can I be finding something I am good at?" He asked, intrigued by Stormblaze's suggestion. He felt that if he could discover a useful skill that he and only he possessed, then it could really help him and the other Freedom Fighters!

"I'm afraid that is something you shall have to discover on your own," The unicorn replied, much to Antoine's disappointment. "But I do believe you are stronger then what you think yourself to be."

Antoine's cynical expression spoke volumes at what he thought of that.

"Do you believe I jest? Consider this then. If you were a true coward, then you how could you bring yourself to go along with your band every time they embarked on a mission? A true coward would have run and hid somewhere, but instead you continued getting into the thick of things."

"That is not being the same thing. The princess, Sonic, Rotor, Dulcy and Bunnie are still being braver then _moi_." Antoine moodily said, kicking at a small stone in his path.

"My mentor once told me that it is not how one feels that makes them brave, but their actions." Stormblaze calmly insisted. "You will come to understand this in time."

Antoine still wasn't sure about that. He supposed it was a miracle that he had somehow managed to continue going out on missions with the other Freedom Fighters, but he believed that destroying SWATBots and leading raids into Robotropolis against Robotnik was an entirely different animal from just trailing after the real heroes. He couldn't understand why Stormblaze, who was still largely a stranger to him, was so willing to place his faith in him when no one else was.

After this conversation, they mostly continued on in silence. When a couple of hours had flown by, Stormblaze glanced over at Antoine. In spite of the fact that his normally neatly-coiffed hair was now tousled and it was plain to see that he was exhausted, to his credit, Antoine hadn't complained a bit. If he was trying to impress Stormblaze, then it was working. Stormblaze himself felt as though he could last for several more miles. Unicorns were not camels, but they could travel on foot for an entire day if they had an appropriate amount of rest, food, and water during the journey. Still though, it would certainly be selfish of him to ignore Antoine's plight, especially when he was clearly making such an effort to get on his good side.

"Perhaps we should stop, little wolf? I would hate to have to drag you the rest of the way there." Stormblaze wryly offered. "Little wolf" was the rather curious nickname Stormblaze had bestowed upon Antoine, though the latter certainly liked it better then "Ant" or "Antsy", both of which Sonic used for him and were meant to be derogatory. When Antoine had asked Stormblaze how he came up with the nickname, he pointed out that dogs and coyotes were related to wolves.

Panting, Antoine nodded in agreement, and they stopped alongside a babbling brook that cut through the forested landscape. Here along the bank, the trees weren't quite as dense, allowing sunlight to reflect off the water's surface and lending it a brilliant white glimmer. Antoine used his knapsack as a headrest as he sprawled out on the grass and laid there while Stormblaze settled down near the bank.

Deciding that now would be an opportune time for a snack break, Stormblaze plucked a handful of grass and chewed it, savoring the fresh flavor. As he helped himself to several more mouthfuls, but it wasn't long before he caught Antoine staring at him like he had suddenly grown an extra head or something.

"Er, I am having some food if you are wanting some." Antoine offered, sitting up as he prepared to open his knapsack.

"Quite unnecessary. For the moment, anyways," Stormblaze smirked, waving him off. "Unicorns eat grass."

"Oh. Er, pardon _moi_, but it is just that I have never seen anyone eat grass before." It was clear that Antoine was slightly embarrassed by his lack of knowledge on the subject, but Stormblaze didn't fault him for it. He really didn't expect the coydog to know much about the eating habits of unicorns.

"You should try some; spring grass really is quite flavorful. And there are so many wonderful varieties." The unicorn said before helping himself to another mouthful.

Disgusted by the suggestion, Antoine wrinkled his nose before noticing Stormblaze's playful smile and smiling a bit himself. He was really enjoying talking with Stormblaze. It was wonderful to be able to speak with someone who didn't act as though he was stupid, yelled at him, pushed him aside, or otherwise treated him cruelly. The only other Mobians he ever really did that with were Bunnie, Rosie, and Tails.

Once Stormblaze had had his fill of grass, he pointed to the sabre hanging from Antoine's sword belt. "How well can you wield that?"

"Not very well." Antoine hesitantly admitted. "I was not finishing my training because I was having to leave La Valette for my safety."

"Then we will have to remedy that then, won't we?"

"You mean you will be teaching _moi_ how to be a better swordsman then?" Antoine looked hopefully at the unicorn.

Stormblaze smirked again. "I will. May I?" He glanced to Antoine's sabre.

Understanding what he was requesting, Antoine slid the sabre from its sheath and handed it to Stormblaze. In his massive hand, the sword almost looked like a long curved dagger, due to being crafted for a wielder much shorter than Stormblaze. He studied the entirety of the blade, closely examining it and testing its heft. Then he stood and expertly spun the sabre in his hand before making a few experimental feints with it. The weapon whistled like the wind as the archer pretended to slice and stab at invisible targets.

Turning back to Antoine, who had sat up in order to better watch the display, Stormblaze returned the sabre, seriously commenting as he did, "'Tis is a fine weapon."

Antoine couldn't help but grin with pride at the compliment. When the refugees from Castle Acorn had arrived in Knothole, they found that the village had already been prepared for the arrival of residents, having been used by the royal family as a secret retreat on prior occasions. Among other things, there was a cache of weapons there. It was in this cache that Antoine had found something special: a handsome sabre stored within a sword case. It appeared to be brand new and unused, and with Antoine being the only (novice) swordsman among the group, he had immediately claimed it as his own. However, Rosie and Cat wouldn't let him handle the sabre until he was thirteen, fearing for his own safety as well as that of the other youngsters. Before then, he had often spent time cleaning and polishing the weapon, waiting for the day when he would finally be able to wield it like a true knight in the defense of the kingdom.

"A knight must always be keeping his blade in good condition, no?" He proudly said before adding, "Er… well, a future knight."

"Indeed." Antoine's quick amendment to his statement made Stormblaze lightly smile in amusement.

Antoine suddenly remembered something Stormblaze had mentioned earlier which had piqued his curiosity. "You said you were having a mentor before. Who is he?" He asked.

When Stormblaze did not immediately answer, Antoine wondered if he had heard him. The coydog noticed that he seemed to be staring at something in the sky, but when he followed Stormblaze's line of sight, he didn't see anything of note.

He started to repeat his query again when Stormblaze finally answered, "Sir Connery."

"_The_ Sir Connery?"

Seeing Antoine's awed expression, Stormblaze couldn't contain another wisecrack. For him, it was just too fun to tease the poor boy. "You know, if you keep doing that, something's going to end up flying right into your mouth."

Not catching the joke, Antoine quickly shut his mouth, revolted by the very thought of something like an insect winding up in his mouth. But he couldn't contain his zeal and just had to start talking again. "He is only being one of the greatest knights to ever serve King Acorn! Everyone was thinking he had been killed or roboticized like all the others! How did you meet him?" In his excitement, he had begun hustling back and forth and gesticulating wildly.

A Mobian Fresian horse, Sir Connery had served under Antoine's father, and the two had been close friends. When Robotnik had struck, Sir Connery was away visiting an ill cousin in another kingdom at the time, and had not been seen since. There were dark whispers that he had either turned coward or was too ashamed by the fact that he had not been present to protect his liege to return to the Acorn Kingdom, but Antoine refused to believe any of that. A true hero like Sir Connery would never give up or run away when innocents were in danger, he believed. Antoine had always hoped and prayed that Connery would return someday to assist the Freedom Fighters in their struggle.

Stormblaze placidly waited for Antoine to calm down somewhat before beginning his tale. "Well, this occurred well before I was sent to recover the Deep Power Stones, when I had just arrived on the mainland from Avalonia. I was walking when I heard the sounds of combat nearby and decided to investigate. As it turns out, it was Sir Connery in the midst of battle with several SWATBots. I was caught up in the fighting when the robots noticed me, but together he and I made short work of them. Afterwards, he explained to me about Robotnik, and how he had returned to his kingdom only to find it overrun by smoke-spewing factories and hostile robots, and his friends nowhere to be found."

"Now, you should probably know that in those days I was… er, not as… composed as I am now," Clearly, the unicorn found this revelation to be an embarrassing one. Clearing his throat after his slight pause, he continued. "Anyways, Connery was trying to raise a resistance against Robotnik. I plainly told him that I was not interested in his fight, and continued on my way. Neither Robotnik nor his sympathizers were pleased that we had destroyed so many of his precious SWATBots, so a larger contingent of soldiers was sent after me. Being careless and arrogant, I foolishly allowed myself to be caught in an ambush. Let me tell you, I would not be here speaking to you today were it not for Connery. He happened to be in the area and saved my life. That experience thoroughly humbled me, and I decided to travel with him from then on. He taught me much." He stopped again.

"What happened?" Antoine cautiously asked. Stormblaze's sudden silence struck him as being rather ominous.

"Well, we did manage to raise a militia. As you can imagine, soon there were patrols out searching everywhere for us. At the time, we were hiding in Dacia with an old friend of Connery's, a nobleman. As you may already be aware of, Dacia is a mountainous region, and this fellow's home was built up in the mountains. That treacherous bastard was working for Robotnik the entire time." Although Stormblaze's face was expressionless, almost rigid, the quiet rage in his voice actually frightened Antoine a little. "My telempathy warned me there was something not quite right about him, though I could not ascertain what exactly, but Connery reassured me that he was a good male. Still though, I decided that I would not rest until I could prove my suspicions were correct."

"As we rested, the noble told Robotnik that we were at his home, and he sent his troops to apprehend us. I had decided that Connery could be trusted with my secret, so I finally told him exactly how I knew the nobleman was not to be trusted. I recall he was surprised, yet not greatly so – he told me that he had found my lack of knowledge about the outside world rather peculiar. Anyways, we managed to escape from the manor and headed down a trail beside a steep cliff, but the enemy was numerous, so Connery told me to go ahead while he covered our escape. The ground must have been unstable. It collapsed beneath their combined weight. Connery fell into the chasm below, but succeeded in taking a number of the fiends with him."

Antoine was speechless. No wonder Stormblaze had been so hesitant to talk about Sir Connery. Antoine couldn't believe that he was actually dead. For a moment, his heart had thrilled at the thought of the distinguished knight being out there somewhere fighting against Robotnik. His heart went out for Stormblaze. He had obviously grown close to Sir Connery in the time that he had known him. Saying "I'm sorry for your loss" just didn't seem like enough.

Finally, Antoine swallowed hard, hoping that what he was about to say would not only be appropriate, but comforting as well. "My father… he was always saying that Sir Connery was a great knight and a great Mobian. He was being a hero to the end."

Stormblaze didn't verbally respond, but acknowledged Antoine with a nod of his head. After a moment, he asked, "Your father knew Connery personally then?"

"They were serving together under the king and were also being good _mon amies_."

"You know, it is rather funny that your father and my mentor worked together." Stormblaze thoughtfully remarked.

Antoine scratched his head, his expression a quizzical one. "Er… funny ha-ha?" He couldn't see how this was a laughing matter.

"No, funny as in ironic. In this case, irony refers to a quirk of fate. See, Connery was one of your father's soldiers, and then he became my mentor. Now I am training you."

Now understanding, Antoine nodded. "Now that you are mentioning it, I suppose it is."

"Well, shall we leave?" Stormblaze asked, getting up. "I believe we have dawdled here long enough."

Antoine agreed. Before they left, he decided to refill his canteen, which was running low. Unclasping the item from where it was hooked onto his knapsack, he moved closer to the stream.

"Wait." He stopped as Stormblaze came to stand at the water's edge.

"I was not going to be drinking it now…" Antoine began to explain. He knew all about the dangers of not boiling water from streams and the like before drinking it: this had been drilled into the Freedom Fighters' heads from the time they were small. He trailed off when he saw Stormblaze get down on his hands and knees and lower his head towards the flowing water. The tip of his horn broke the surface, causing the water to gently ripple at the sudden intrusion. As Antoine watched with wonder and then fascination, waves of bright white light began to emanate from his horn, joining the already-present ripples in spreading across the body of water.

Antoine realized what was happening. He remembered being a pup when Rosie had told him and the other children about one of the unicorns' most famous powers, the ability to cleanse liquids of impurities. "Ah! You are pureeing the water!" He exclaimed.

Standing, Stormblaze looked over at Antoine as he dusted his hands off. The white light in the water was now slowly fading away. "Purifying the water," He corrected. "We unicorns call it water-conning. But you are correct. I decided to save you some trouble and determine if this burn was clean or not. My horn detected some impurities, but they are gone now. Try it now."

Antoine studied the stream to see if it looked any different from before. It didn't. Where the water wasn't churning white as it rushed swiftly downstream, the stony bottom could be clearly seen. He scooped some water into his cupped hands and tried it. His face brightened, and he looked over at Stormblaze. "This is being the best water I have ever had!"

Watching the coydog fill his canteen, a smile dawned on Stormblaze's muzzle. "I would hope so, or else my powers have become rusty." He waited until Antoine was finished before setting off again. As the pair walked together, Stormblaze reflected on what he had discovered so far, as well as the situation at hand.

The last thing he wanted to do was drag a poorly trained mortal who had his whole life ahead of him into a dangerous situation, so teaching Antoine in the art of combat was a must. He knew that it was going to be tricky, juggling the hunt for the Deep Power Stones and trying to train Antoine at the same time. But still, he believed that training Antoine was something that his mentor would have wanted him to do. He imagined Sir Connery would be pleased to learn that Stormblaze had imparted the knowledge he had learned from him onto another Mobian who needed it. Antoine was certainly someone in need of guidance: whenever Stormblaze looked at the canine, he was reminded of a young aervwinger that hadn't learned how to fly yet and was grounded in the middle of a storm with no place to go. Rather like himself before departing Avalonia. He could see that Antoine had the makings of a great knight within him, but would likely have a long road to travel before he could claim such a title.

'_No one should ever have to weather life's trials alone.'_ he thought.

* * *

It was only the third day of the journey when Stormblaze, sensing moistness in the wind, told Antoine that he suspected a rainstorm would be heading their way soon, and knew of a place where they could stay the night.

Antoine followed the unicorn as he led him through heavily overgrown forest trails that, at times, were difficult for even someone of the coydog's small stature to get through. When he thought he couldn't walk any further, Antoine saw that they were nearing a fallen tree trunk in a clearing deep within the forest. What made this log different from any other in the area was that it was a spiritwood, a tree related to the great sequoias and redwoods of the Great Continent's western coast, as its massive size would indicate. Another thing that set the spiritwood log apart was that it had been converted into a bar/inn. A double row of shuttered windows lined its side, and a simple wooden door had been cut into the stump, with a canopy over it to protect customers from the elements. A sign hanging over the door announced in bold red painted letters 'The Watering Hole'.

Antoine and Stormblaze stood underneath the canopy as Stormblaze rapped on the door three times. A section of wood that had been covering a narrow slot carved into the door towards the top was suddenly pulled aside, and two reddened eyes glared suspiciously out at them.

"Password?" A deep, slightly muffled voice grunted from behind the door.

"Acorn ale." Stormblaze replied without hesitation.

The sound of numerous locks and latches being unlocked could be heard, then the door opened to reveal a large, stocky pig standing there. '_He looks intimidating'_, Antoine thought nervously, but he took comfort in the fact that Stormblaze was noticeably taller, plus, appeared to be completely unconcerned by the pig's presence. The pig stepped aside to let them through.

"Here we are." Stormblaze announced, spreading his arms wide as he gestured around the Watering Hole's interior. "Now, this is what I call atmosphere!"

Antoine looked around. A dimly lit room that looked as if it could do with a good thorough cleaning, occupied by some rather disreputable-looking Mobians who were either sitting at the bar or at their own tables hunched sullenly over their tankards - he failed to see the appeal.

Realizing that Antoine was less than impressed, Stormblaze simply said, "It grows on you, trust me." He went over to an empty table in the back of the room and took a seat there. Antoine followed and took the chair to Stormblaze's right. He waited while Stormblaze went to pay the barkeep, a tough-looking toad, for a room for the night.

When Stormblaze returned several minutes later, he settled back in his chair and looked to Antoine. "In honor of our new partnership, let us have drinks tonight."

"Drinks? That is sounding good." Antoine replied, pleased. It would be a nice change of pace from water.

A barmaid, a full-figured but fairly curvaceous guinea pig, approached their table. "Alright boys, what'll it be tonight?" She amiably asked them.

Since Antoine had never been here before, Stormblaze figured that he would order for them both. But before he could speak, Antoine suddenly piped up. "Are you having _coquilles saint-jacques_ here, _mademoiselle_?"

Bemused, the guinea pig raised an eyebrow at the request. "… No, I don't think we have whatever it was you just said."

Stormblaze touched his companion, who was looking slightly miffed at the waitress' reply, on the shoulder. "If I may? I am more familiar with the cuisine here, after all." Turning to the waitress, he then said, "A couple of acorn ales, fried potatoes, vegetable stew, and soda bread please."

Antoine, having expected something along the lines of soda or juice of some sort, was surprised to learn that the drinks were actually going to be alcoholic. Princess Sally frowned on the idea of any of the Knothole Freedom Fighters drinking, partly because she wanted everyone to keep on their toes and thought that alcohol would have the opposite effect on them.

The guinea pig nodded as she quickly jotted the order down in the little notepad she carried on her, then headed behind the bar and back into the kitchen. In a little while she returned, carrying a tray that had two frosty glass mugs filled with a rich amber-colored frothy liquid, a platter of fried chopped potatoes, four loaves of warm soda bread, and a set of vegetable soup-filled bowls on it. She set the tray down on the table between them before leaving to attend to other customers.

Taking one mug for himself, Stormblaze pushed the other in Antoine's direction with a grin. "Wait until you try this. It's actually named in honor of your King Acorn, you know."

"I am not knowing about this… Just how clean are these cups being?" Antoine asked, picking up his mug and peering closely at it.

Stormblaze had already started eating, but stopped to glance over at Antoine. "Clean enough." He simply replied. "Listen, little wolf, if you spend all your time fretting about little things, then you're never going to enjoy life. So I recommend that you just sit back, relax, and enjoy your meal."

Still unsure, Antoine set the drink aside for the moment and decided to try some of the food. However, he found most of it far too greasy for his palette, like he did Sonic's repulsive chili dogs. Tentatively, he picked up his mug again and took a careful whiff of the ale. The tart scent was interesting, to say the least. The few occasions he had ever smelled anything like it before was when he had snuck into La Vallette's wine cellar with a few friends to sneak a taste of the alcohol kept in there, but the boys had been discovered and chased out by one of the cooks before they could do anything.

Antoine took an experimental taste. Then took several more. It wasn't all that bad, really. He had to admit, being able to drink like this did make him feel more like an adult rather than just some silly teenager. As he drank, he could feel an odd but pleasant sensation of warmth and relaxation wash over him.

Noticing his companion's progress, Stormblaze gave him a broad smile of approval. "See? What did I tell you? Care for another?" At Antoine's hasty nod and rather goofy grin, Stormblaze summoned the barmaid over and ordered a second mug for Antoine, which he eagerly grabbed when she came back with the order.

Stormblaze returned to his own meal. Due to his healing abilities, which like all unicorns affected his own health, alcohol did not have the same effect on him as it did other creatures (alcohol was non-existent in unicorn society for the same reason). Therefore, he didn't drink for the intoxicating effects like others did, since he had never really felt anything of the sort before, but for the taste of the brew itself, which he found unique. However, he found his peaceful meal being interrupted by Antoine's loud talking.

"So you were a sailor with the Ducaine navy once? Ha, that is nothing! My _mon ami_ here is being a real live knight. In fact, we are on a quest to find the Deer Power Stones!"

Startled, Stormblaze looked up to find Antoine standing up in his chair and engaged in conversation with the occupants of a nearby table, a tall cougar and a scruffy magpie. Reaching over to grab Antoine by the shoulder, Stormblaze forced him to turn around and sit down.

"Pay him no heed," Stormblaze told the cougar and the magpie, who shrugged and went back to their drinks. Leaning in towards Antoine, Stormblaze sharply whispered, "Cease this behavior!"

"But I was just having the… how you say?… chummy conservation with these gentlemen…" Antoine replied, his speech slurred and attitude slightly peevish.

Seeing that the contents of Antoine's second mug were just about gone, Stormblaze quickly realized what the problem was. Somehow, a part of him knew that he probably shouldn't have been too surprised by Antoine's reaction to the ale.

"You do not know who they are. What if they are aligned with _you-know-you_?" Stormblaze retorted, still maintaining a lowered voice.

"You know who? Who?" Antoine echoed before blinking owlishly in realization. "Oh, Ic-Icky Naugus…" He hiccupped, then chortled. "Well, I am not being scared of him!" Without warning, he clambered up onto the table and drew his sabre, clumsily thrusting and hacking at the air with it. "I will cut him to riddles!"

Now they were drawing stares and earning snickers from the other patrons. The whole situation would have been pretty humorous were it not for the possibility that a spy working for the Order of Ixis might be in their midst at that very moment watching them. Stormblaze attempted to get him down again, but was forced to quickly back off lest he be accidentally cut by Antoine's blade. While he could heal himself if he were injured, there were too many witnesses around. He would have a lot of explaining to do if he were to be wounded and they noticed that he had suddenly stopped bleeding.

Finally, Antoine made the mistake of swinging out too far, and ended up losing his balance. He would have fallen off the table were it not for Stormblaze, who grabbed him just in time. The unicorn leveled a severe stare at the inebriated coydog cradled in his arms.

"I think it is time for you to be heading off to bed, would you not agree?" He asked, his voice belying his expression.

"Bed?" Antoine whined as he tried to focus his vision; he would have sworn that he was seeing _three_ Stormblazes now. "But I am not being sheepy, papa."

Stormblaze couldn't get himself and Antoine up to the staircase to the second floor fast enough, as a roar of laughter erupted from behind them in the den. As he searched for their room, which was located towards the end of the hallway, and went in after unlocking the door, he had to put up with a lot of silly and quite frankly embarrassing chatter from Antoine the entire time.

Once they were inside, Stormblaze dropped Antoine onto one of the beds, earning a grunt of surprise from the canine. He then took a seat on the edge of the second bed and studied their accommodations. The room was a simple affair. In addition to the two (rather small) beds, there was also a stool and a small desk, on top of which sat a lit candlelight lamp. He was grateful that the room included two beds, as he would have hated to sleep on the floor.

Stormblaze's keen ears picked up the light drumming of raindrops striking the windowpane. His earlier guess that they would be getting rain had proved correct. He considered going back downstairs to retrieve the rest of his dinner when Antoine started rambling again. As he did before, Stormblaze largely tuned Antoine out, only half-heartedly offering a reply every now and then.

Noticing his companion attempting to sit up, Stormblaze told him, "Go to sleep. No doubt you will feel better in the morning."

Clumsily rolling over onto his side and propping himself up on his elbow, Antoine blearily gazed over at the unicorn. "'Blaze, are you knowing that you are being my bestest _mon ami_ in the whole world?"

"No, I did not. Thank you, Antoine." Stormblaze dryly replied. _'At least he isn't a disagreeable drunk.' _he thought.

"Sometimes I am not even sure if Bunnie is wanting to be my _mon ami_," he continued in a wavering voice, waving a hand through the air. "Since I am being the reason for why she is the way she is."

Stormblaze frowned. He remembered Antoine mentioning this Bunnie to him earlier in their conversations about Knothole, but he hadn't said anything about there being something wrong with her. Normally, Stormblaze wasn't the sort to stick his nose in other Mobians' business, believing that if someone had something to tell him then they would do so on their own time, but now he reluctantly found himself wanting to know more about Antoine's connection to Bunnie. "What do you mean that you're the reason for her being the way she is?" He asked.

With a sigh, Antoine flopped onto his back, his head resting on the pillow as he stared up at the ceiling. "When I was fifteen years old, I was wanting to practice with _mon_ sabre, so I went to the Great Forest. When I was hearing what sounded like many Mobians coming towards _moi_, I thought it was just being Sonic trying to play a joke on _moi_. So I hid in the bushes, planning to jump out and give him the scare. But instead it was turning out to be ten SWATBots dragging a _lapine_ with them. Even though she could not get away, I could tell she was not being scared. Not one bit. In fact, she was quite angry at them," He couldn't help but smile a little at the memory. That was one of Bunnie's trademarks: her fearlessness in the face of peril. "I was wanting to save her, so I followed them all the way to Robotropolis. I lost sight of her when they took her inside Robotnik's base, since I could not easily be doing the sneaking in after them and had to wait before making _mon_ move. I was finally able to be finding the room she was in because... because I could hear her screaming! T-they were roboticizing her!" Shutting his eyes tightly, he covered his ears as though he could still hear Bunnie's pained screams even now.

"I was wanting to stop them, truly I did, but it was like I could not move. I was being so scared when I saw and heard what was happening I just… was freezing. Somehow, I finally came to _mes_ senses. I saw the control panel for the roboticizer nearby and starting tearing out the wires in it. That stopped it. When Snively went to see what was the problem was being, I quickly pulled Bunnie out of that awful machine. She was not being awake, and I took her back to Knothole."

By this point, Stormblaze was sitting up rigidly and stock-still, listening intently to Antoine's narrative. Sir Connery had explained about roboticization to Stormblaze before, leaving him horror-struck. The very idea of a machine that could transform living flesh into cold metal appalled to him. He believed this Overlander Robotnik must truly be a servant of Mephiles. "Was the lady roboticized?" He tentatively asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Only her right arm and her legs," Groaning, Antoine covered his eyes with his hands, wailing, "Oh, if only I was not being such a foolish coward, then she still would be normal!"

Incredulous, Stormblaze sprang to his hooves. "Antoine, you did not doom her. Do you not see that you saved her?"

"Saved her? I was not acting quickly enough to keep her from being taken there in the first place! I am a failure!"

Going over to the other bed, Stormblaze grabbed Antoine by his shoulders. "Listen to me," he firmly insisted. "Beating yourself up over this helps neither you nor her. The both of you were outnumbered by the SWATBots. To fight them all would have been absolutely foolhardy, not courageous. You were _not_ the one to roboticize her. That was Snively and Robotnik's doing."

Antoine merely sniffled, tears that had been restrained for far too long welling up in his eyes. Stormblaze released his hold on him. Taking out a handkerchief from his tunic pocket, he handed it to Antoine, who took it and loudly blew his nose. He tried to hand the article of white cloth back to its owner, who quickly put his hands out in front of him, mild disgust causing him to screw his muzzle up. "No, you keep that... Or something. Anyways, have you ever spoken to the lady about this matter?"

Antoine shook his head. "I-i-it is something we are never really s-speeching of."

"Well, perhaps you should try discussing it with her sometime. I think it would help you - and maybe her as well – immensely. It does you no good to keep something so tragic bottled up inside."

Antoine nodded as he lay back down. "I will be trying…"

"Good," Stormblaze nodded in satisfaction before getting up and returning to his own bed. "I will hold you to that. Now, I intend to get my rest for the night, so if you would kindly find another activity aside from talking or feeling sorry for yourself to occupy your time, preferably sleeping, I would appreciate it."

Hearing no response, Stormblaze glanced over at Antoine. He had fallen asleep, his chest gently rising and falling as he breathed, and the sounds of light snoring were audible. Stormblaze impassively considered the canine's dozing form for a moment before finally shaking his head and chuckling quietly to himself. As juvenile and grating as Antoine could be at times, Stormblaze still found himself liking the little mutt, who by extension didn't seem to mind his own quirks too much. Most of the Avalonian unicorns tended to find Stormblaze's sense of humor tiresome, and his ways of thinking, especially his desire to leave their comfortable island home to explore the rest of Mobius, were alien to them.

Stormblaze wanted to help Antoine stay on the right path, especially after what he had revealed tonight. After Sir Connery's demise, Stormblaze remembered blaming himself for what had happened and thinking that it should've been him who died that day. Eventually though, he had come to see that he was not at fault for the horse's death, and hoped Antoine would take his advice and understand that the same thing was true of him and Bunnie.

"Good night, little wolf."

* * *

Antoine opened his eyes, then immediately regretted doing so. It felt like the light was actually burning its way into his pupils. Wincing, he quickly shut them and rolled over on his stomach, away from the agonizing light. His head was pounding, he felt about as weak as a newborn pup, his stomach was turning flips, and his mouth tasted like he had been chewing on a dirty sock. _'Mon dieu…'_ He miserably thought.

He recognized the scent of fresh air and… two sniffs determined horse... No, on second thought, it wasn't exactly a horse. He was sure it was Stormblaze. Cautiously, Antoine partially slid one eye open and slowly shifted himself to look around. From his position, he saw a small, simply furnished room, and guessed that he was in a bedroom someplace, but exactly where he wasn't sure. His surroundings didn't look familiar at all. He was careful not to look across the room, where the dreadfully bright rays of sunshine were pouring in between the white curtains framing the open window.

"Good morning." A voice Antoine recognized wryly greeted him from somewhere nearby. Antoine was too dizzy to identify the direction Stormblaze's voice was coming from, and buried his head beneath his pillow instead.

"_Mon_ poor head…"

"Yes. I believe you have what's known as a hangover. I've never experienced one before, thank the Source, so I can only imagine what it must feel like."

To Antoine, it almost sounded like he was actually deriving some sort of amusement out of his predicament. He wished Stormblaze could experience what he was going through right now - that'd probably shut him up. Annoyed, Antoine adjusted his pillow slightly so that he could be better heard and grumbled, "_You_ were being the one telling _moi_ to have a drink."

Stormblaze coughed. "Yes, well, it would seem that I overestimated your tolerance for alcohol," Now he sounded embarrassed. "I suppose at least you can tell the rest of your little group that you have had a man's drink, eh?"

Antoine decided that he would keep this particular story to himself for a change. He hated to imagine the princess's reaction if she discovered what he had done. "Where are we?" He asked with a groan, deciding to change the subject.

"Still at the Watering Hole. I had to bring you upstairs last night after your little display. You are in no condition to travel anywhere."

'_That much was obvious'_, Antoine thought, closing his eyes again. He had no intention of going anywhere in the state he was in, trying to remain perfectly still instead. Breathing was one of the few things he could do without feeling pain or nausea. He tried to think of something, _anything_ to take his mind off of how awful he felt. But because he was so disoriented, he had trouble focusing.

"Remain as you are," Stormblaze instructed him. "I shall heal you."

Antoine could feel something lightly tap him on his right shoulder, then on the other shoulder. Then the pillow was moved aside, and what he correctly guessed to be the palm of a hand was pressed against his forehead. A peculiar tingling sensation suddenly spread throughout his body, starting with his head and going all the way down to his toes. The strange feeling went away after a few minutes, taking the pain and nausea with it. Opening his eyes, Antoine carefully sat up, not quite believing what had happened to him.

"I am feeling... better?"

It was true. His vision had cleared, and his other symptoms were gone as well. In fact, he felt better than he did before he had gotten drunk. Glancing to his right, Antoine saw that Stormblaze had pulled a chair up by the head of his bed. He didn't seem to be aware of Antoine, and his unfocused gray eyes were glazed over and staring straight ahead. Then without warning, Stormblaze slumped forward in his seat. Antoine hurriedly grabbed him by the hood of his tunic to keep him from pitching forward, but the unicorn's bulk threatened to pull him down to the floor as well, and he was forced to stand in order to gain better traction and brace himself.

"Stormblaze!" The coydog shouted, hoping to rouse him.

With a grunt, Stormblaze shook his head and sat back up, placing an open palm to his forehead. Seeing that he appeared to be alright now, Antoine released his hold.

"My apologies for alarming you," Stormblaze said, sounding tired. Antoine was concerned to see that his eyes were half-closed and his ears drooped. "Whenever I use my healing powers, they draw upon my body's energy, so I usually require rest after performing a healing, whether I heal another or myself. Normally, curing a mere hangover should not have affected me this badly, but this was a surprisingly complicated healing."

"Complicated?"

The unicorn seemed hesitant to speak. "I… sensed something there – within you. A great wound of the spirit, something that my horn cannot heal."

Antoine frowned slightly. A spiritual wound? He supposed it could have been any number of things - the loss of the only true family he had ever known, the sense that he had disappointed not only his princess but his parents with his weakness, just to name a few possibilities. There was also something that he privately referred to as "The Incident", something that he believed he hadn't told Stormblaze about. It had been a terrible moment in not only his life but Bunnie's as well, and he didn't think he was ready to discuss it just yet.

"You need not share it if you do not wish to." Stormblaze gently said, having noticed Antoine's sudden quietness.

"_Merci_," Antoine gave him a grateful nod. "Maybe I will be talking about it when I am feeling down for it."

"I believe you mean 'up for it'. Now, are you up for breakfast?" Standing (albeit rather slowly), Stormblaze started to make his way towards the door but stopped, turning back to Antoine with a slight smile on his face. Apparently he was beginning to feel better.

"Now I am." Antoine hopped out of bed, his movements sure and sprightly. He couldn't believe how easily he was able to get around when only a moment ago he had felt like crawling under the bed and dying there. Just as Antoine was preparing to follow Stormblaze downstairs to the den, he stopped, a slight frown on his face. "Stormblaze, exactly what was I doing last night? I am not remembering anything."

"Well…" Stormblaze slowly began without turning around, "You began conversing with two strangers about the Deep Power Stones, then stood up on the table and started swinging your sword around like a madman. Oh, and you called me papa."

Antoine pulled a face. It was worse than he thought. "Er, on second thought, I am thinking I will be saying here instead." He wasn't sure if he wanted to show his face to the same Mobians who had witnessed his drunken escapades the night before.

Stormblaze walked back over to him. Being a free-spirited individual who didn't care a whit as to what others may have thought of him, he disliked seeing Antoine worry so much about what the other patrons might say about him that he was willing to forgo breakfast. That wouldn't be good for another reason. They had a long trip ahead of them, and Antoine needed food in order to maintain the strength and energy needed to keep up with Stormblaze.

"Well, if you truly wish to, I suppose you could remain here while I go downstairs and enjoy a nice hot breakfast. Orrrr…" Stormblaze drawled, carefully pausing for effect, "You could accompany me, we can both get breakfast, and I could teach you a few different methods for dealing with ruffians who are giving you a difficult time."

His little ploy seemed to have done the trick. Antoine's reluctance gave way to eager inquisitiveness. "You would be doing that for _moi_? I could really use something like that!"

"Oh trust me, little wolf, I would. I believe you'll find it a most interesting lesson…" Stormblaze said, smiling disarmingly as he eased Antoine towards the door.

"Wait -" Antoine halted again, looking up at Stormblaze with concern. "The breakfast, is it being greasy like the dinner as well?"

Giving a huff of annoyance, Stormlaze nudged Antoine on out the door. "Oh, do stop fretting and come on already!"

**Author's notes: **I can't take any credit for the idea of Antoine being the person to rescue Bunnie from the roboticizer, as it was actually inspired by Nikkicub's story "Rabbot Tale" (go read it, it's good!). Yeah, I know it was actually Sonic and Rotor who saved her in the comic, but I think Antoine being the one to do it instead gives him and Bunnie a connection (plus, the issue in which Bunnie's roboticization is shown happened back in the days when the comic had a more slapstick tone to it, so…).

The Source of All being treated as a deity and being sworn by as such is an idea borrowed from Miss Cassidy. I've been using online French to English translators for the French words and terms in here, so if any of it is incorrect, don't hesitate to correct me.

Translations:

Coquilles saint-jacques: This is a French dish made with scallops and mushrooms.

Faux pas: Stumble; refers to a slip or blunder in manners or conduct.

Lapine: Rabbit.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

After a whole day's worth of walking, the next afternoon Antoine and Stormblaze finally arrived in the tiny hamlet of Rose Creek. The town was surrounded by an old-growth forest, and as such, many of the trees were tall and the underbrush very sparse. Eventually, they came upon the former Order of Ixis member, who Stormblaze had said was an aardvark named Tomlan, gathering wood in the forest. Nearby was a large hill that had what appeared to be a brown wooden door resembling a cellar door constructed into the side of it. It must have been someone's dwelling, but whether it was Tomlan's or not could not be determined at the time.

"Good morrow, sir." Stormblaze amiably called out as he and Antoine approached. Realizing that he was no longer alone, Tomlan whirled around to face them with a gasp, dropping the armful of sticks he had been carrying as he did.

He scrambled towards the hill, making a beeline for the door, only to be blocked as Stormblaze, naturally being faster, made it there first and placed his bulk in front of it. Antoine ran behind the aardvark in case he decided to turn in the other direction and make a run for it. Seeing that he was trapped, Tomlan covered his eyes and broke down, sobbing piteously as he fell to the ground.

Antoine and Stormblaze exchanged glances of confusion and guilt as they stood over Tomlan. The poor fellow was clearly terrified.

"_S'il vous plait monsieur_, we are only being here to speak with you." Antoine hastily explained.

Tomlan looked up at them, his eyes bleary and red. "Y-y-y-you mean you aren't here to kill me?"

"Do not be absurd," Stormblaze scoffed. "No assassin in their right mind would hail you before slaying you. Who did you believe we were?" He already had his suspicions, but wanted them confirmed.

Slowly rising to his feet, Tomlan cast fearful glances about the area as though he were expecting more Mobians to appear. "I'd rather not say. You two said you wanted to speak to me? Why?"

Stormblaze nodded. "Yes. Your help is needed in apprehending one Matthias Poe."

"Oh no. No no no no…" Tomlan began edging away from the pair, slowly shaking his head.

"Right now, you are the only Mobian who can aid us," Stormblaze empathically said, following him. "I know that you were once a member of the Order of Ixis. Poe has stolen some very powerful mystical artifacts, the Deep Power Stones, and it is feared that he will cause much havoc with them if not stopped in time." He levelly stared down at Tomlan, who had been backed against the side of the hill. "Well? Will you turn us away, or help us stop Poe before he brings ruin to all of Mobius?"

"It's real easy for you to act so high and mighty, mule," Tomlan retorted, glaring at Stormblaze. "You haven't got a single clue what Poe and the others will do to me if they ever learned I told outsiders about the Order. I'm guessing you heard all the stories about them before? Well, the truth is far worse."

Antoine's blood ran cold at the aardvark's ominous words. If this Order of Ixis was so bad, then why hadn't he or the other Freedom Fighters ever heard of them before? "Perhaps we could be protecting you from the Order?" He piped up.

Tomlan glanced between him and Stormblaze. "Are there more of you? Because two Mobians aren't going to cut it. The Order will cut the both of you down and then get me."

"We have friends who can assist us." Stormblaze said, still maintaining his calm demeanor. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Antoine's spur-of-the-moment promise to Tomlan. He disliked making vows he might have problems keeping, but supposed that if it could get Tomlan to open up to them, then he would be willing to go along with it for now.

After a moment of further hesitation, Tomlan finally answered, "Very well. Follow me." He still didn't seem especially convinced that they would be able to protect him. Going over to his front door, he opened it and allowed the pair to enter the house first.

The interior was sparsely decorated, with only the basic necessities and a few pieces of furniture, such as a small fireplace, a table, and a single chair, decorating the small space. The walls were bare. It looked as though Tomlan planned on living out the rest of his existence here as a hermit.

For Stormblaze, the house proved to be a rather tight fit, so he had a seat on the dirt floor. Tomlan offered Antoine the chair, which he started to take but then turned down, choosing to sit on the floor adjacent from Stormblaze instead. He would have felt rather strange getting to sit in a chair while Stormblaze sat on the floor, even though he knew the reason why Stormblaze wouldn't take the chair was because it wouldn't be able to support his weight.

For a moment, the sight of the unicorn awkwardly sitting there with his long legs pulled in closely to his body so they would not be in anyone's way made Antoine want to laugh, but the seriousness of the situation curtailed that impulse. Antoine addressed Tomlan first. "_Excusez-moi monsieur_, but if the Order is being so horrible, then why did you join them?"

"Hey, I didn't realize what they were when I joined them," he retorted, sounding a little offended at having such a question posed to him. "They just told me that they were devoted to overthrowing Robotnik. Who wouldn't like the sound of that? I lost my brother to that Overlander scum's roboticizer."

Antoine had to nod. When Tomlan put it like that, he could better understand why someone would want to be part of such a group. He couldn't help but wonder that if he had encountered the Order and they made him such an offer would he have joined them.

"Anyways, I think they actually do want to stop Robotnik. It's just the way they plan on going about it that's so disturbing." Tomlan continued.

"How is that?" Stormblaze asked.

"They want to return to power so they can rule Mobius themselves. The only Mobian they think can lead them to glory is Ixis Naugus."

"Ixis Naugus?" Antoine echoed, frowning. He knew some Mobians had a penchant for gracing their children with odd forenames (how fortunate he was that his own parents had chosen such a noble name for himself, he thought), but what parent would be cruel enough to name their child Ixis?

For Stormblaze, the oddness of the name Ixis Naugus was the furthest thing from his mind. Instead, he quietly reflected on what Tomlan was telling them. According to the records he had read about the Ixian Wars when he was last on Avalonia, Ixis Naugus had suddenly arrived on the scene decades ago, rallying the remnants of the Order to him as he attempted to bring mayhem and destruction to Mobius in the form of a cataclysmic natural disaster referred to as the 'Days Of Fury' before seeming to mysteriously vanish as quickly as he had appeared. It was quite possible that the Naugus Tomlan spoke of was the very same individual. Most magicians did have longer life spans then mortals typically tended to, due to the effects of the magic they wielded.

"'Ixis' is a title bestowed upon the highest ranking and most powerful member in the Order." Stormblaze informed Antoine.

"That's right," Tomlan nodded to Stormblaze. "No one in my sect ever saw Naugus before. But I did hear that you could recognize him the instant you saw him. He was apparently a very… distinctive-looking character. Had a horn on top of his head, a long beard, and instead of a normal right hand, he had claw of a lobster."

Stormblaze remembered the records making mention of Naugus' bizarre appearance. The sorcerer's appearance matched up with no known species of Mobian, mortal or legendary. Some Mobians theorized that it was some sort of glamour designed to strike fear into Naugus' enemies, or the result of some magical accident or experiment. Meanwhile, Antoine's own expression could be summed up as a blend of repulsion and bewilderment. Distinctive wasn't quite the word that entered his mind when it came to Tomlan's description of Naugus.

"You keep saying 'was'," Stormblaze pointed out. "How can this Naugus fellow return the Order to power if he is no longer around?"

"He never died in the first place. Well," Tomlan paused to scratch his head with a sturdy claw, "At least we're pretty sure he's not dead. See, about eleven years ago, he went to the Kingdom of Acorn to serve as the king and queen's court magician. But what he was really planning to do was manipulate the royals for his own gain."

Antoine's eyes went wide with shock. "What?" Naugus had actually been in the Kingdom of Acorn? Surely he would've remembered seeing such a bizarre character around Castle Acorn before! Stormblaze cocked an eyebrow at Tomlan's revelation, but stayed silent.

For his part, Tomlan glanced over at Antoine, apparently not pleased at being interrupted. "Something the matter?"

"Er... _pas_," Antoine shook his head quickly. "Please be continuing."

"Anyways, Naugus had been experimenting with creating… doorways, if you will, to other worlds. During one of these experiments, he stumbled across a strange dimension he named the Void of Silence. He made the mistake of getting Robotnik to help him further study the Void, but instead Robotnik trapped him in it. Then he turned around and told King Acorn that Naugus had left the kingdom. When the Order hadn't heard anything from Naugus for a while, they set out to find him. It was only after they sent spies to the Acorn Kingdom that they learned about Naugus' imprisonment and started looking for a way to free him. From what I understand, they're able to contact and communicate with him by means of a Dark Power Ring. So he's still alive. He just can't return. If I had to guess, the Order is going to use the Deep Power Stones to try and return Ixis to this world."

"It would seem that you already possess some knowledge of the Deep Power Stones' capabilities." Stormblaze noted.

"Considering that the Order mainly consists of magicians and the Stones are magical artifacts? Yeah, I do." Tomlan replied somewhat sarcastically. Stormblaze's eyes narrowed slightly, but he restrained himself from coming back at Tomlan with an acerbic comment of his own as the aardvark went on.

"Now, for the Order to successfully pull off a stunt like that… why, it'd require a tremendous amount of either powerful or dark magic. The kind that requires a living sacrifice."

A sinister silence followed in the wake of Tomlan's words as Stormblaze and Antoine digested everything he had said. Then Stormblaze urgently asked, "Do you have any idea where Poe might go?"

Scratching at an ear, Tomlan thought for a moment. "Soledad, Sierra Verde. There's a large cave down there nicknamed 'La Boca Del Infierno'. The native tribes are very familiar with it. The Order likes holding their ceremonies there because the site runs over leylines."

Stormblaze gave a sharp intake of breath. "This is direr then what I initially thought," He looked to Antoine. "We must make haste to Soledad. Our entire world is in grave danger."

"But how will we be getting there? Sierra Verde is being all the way on the southern coast of the Great Continent!" Antoine exclaimed. "What if we cannot be getting there fast enough? What if -"

Stormblaze held up a hand to stop Antoine. "I cannot answer those questions at this point, but I would rather we at least attempt to find a way to get there and do so, rather than worry about whether we can or not."

Embarrassed by his fit of anxiety, Antoine managed a resolute nod of agreement. He knew he shouldn't have allowed himself to become so worried, but well, he had always been a worrier.

"So these friends of yours' who are supposed to help protect me… who are they?" Tomlan asked, eying Antoine and Stormblaze with skepticism.

"Have you been hearing of the great Princess Sally Acorn and the Knothole Freedom Fighters?" Antoine asked. He couldn't resist sounding a little smug, though one stern glance in his direction from Stormblaze reminded him not to take it overboard.

"Oh yeah. King Max's kid, right? Never did keep up much with all that royal stuff." Tomlan said, sounding a little less than impressed with Antoine's announcement before his face suddenly brightened as if remembering something important. "Hey, wait – that Sonic kid is with the Knothole Freedom Fighters, isn't he? He's a big hero."

At the mention of Sonic, Antoine's cavalier air deflated like a balloon that had had the air let out of it. Could he never escape the constant mentions of his rival and how fantastic he was? "_Oui_, _oui_…" He huffed, annoyed. "But I am being a member too!"

"You know, if you two could get Sonic to protect me, I think I could help you out some more." Tomlan continued as though he hadn't heard Antoine. He seemed a lot more affable then he had been earlier.

"Considering the time frame, I am not sure if we can manage that, but we will see what we are able to do." Stormblaze honestly answered.

When Tomlan excused himself to step outside, recalling that he needed to bring in the firewood he had been collecting before "being so rudely interrupted" (his words), Stormblaze turned to Antoine with something like wonder in his eyes. "Truly I believe that our meeting was predestined. There are too many curious connections between us to be just mere coincidence."

'_It_ is _curious...'_ Antoine thought – the fact that the both of them shared a connection to Sir Connery, the fact that the villain Stormblaze and the other unicorns wanted to stop had once worked for King Acorn, he and Stormblaze being outsiders in places where they should have been accepted...

"_Oui_. Are you thinking that perhaps the Source was wanting us to meet, so that we could be stopping the Order?" Antoine slowly asked. He had heard some knights say that they had felt a higher power calling them to duty. He hadn't felt anything like that (or at least he didn't think he had), but what if he and Stormblaze _were_ supposed to meet each other? He was aware that some Mobians weren't quite as religious as he tended to be, so he was unsure whether Stormblaze would think his idea mad or not.

The unicorn shrugged. "Who can say? He moves in mysterious ways." Though admittedly, Stormblaze found the idea of the Source choosing a couple of outcasts like Antoine and himself to save the world to be a pretty remarkable one. _'Stranger things have happened, I suppose.'_ he thought.

He decided to switch topics, as there was a specific element of Tomlan's story he wanted to comment upon. "Forgive me, but it would appear that your King Acorn either had the worst fortune imaginable or extremely poor taste in cabinet members."

Antoine wasn't quite sure how to respond to that statement. Before, he would've argued with Stormblaze on behalf of his absent liege, but now even he found himself questioning how on Mobius King Maximilian could have ended up with two traitorous sociopaths in his employ.

"Anyways, it would seem that we will have to take him with us." Stormblaze went on, plainly referring to Tomlan as he jerked his head at the door.

"Are you sure that is being the wisest court of action? He is seeming to be terribly scared of the Order."

" 'Course of action', little wolf. And I am afraid so. It would simply take us too long to escort him back to Knothole or to Avalonia, and we need to catch up with Poe."

"Why not get the aid of that militia that you and Sir Connery started?" Antoine suggested.

Stormblaze made a face like he had just caught a whiff of something disagreeable. "That is not an option either. After Sir Connery's demise, the group's lieutenant and I had a… er, what would you call it? Ah, a falling out." Realizing that Antoine didn't quite understand what he meant by that term, Stormblaze clarified things for him. "It is a long story that I will share another time, but there was a disagreement between us and harsh words were exchanged. I decided that it would be best if I left the group."

Antoine lapsed into a thoughtful silence. He tried to imagine what their quest would be like with the addition of Tomlan. Because of his older age, Tomlan didn't seem to be as spry and active like Stormblaze and himself, and he could be rather… touchy at times.

When Tomlan hadn't returned after ten minutes, the two found themselves growing restless. "Perhaps we should check on our would-be traveling companion." Stormblaze suggested.

A look of concern passed over Antoine's face as a troubling thought occurred to him. "Are you thinking he has run off?"

Stormblaze shrugged. "I would hope not, but with him, who knows?"

"I will go see." Antoine volunteered, standing and going outside. As he shut the door behind himself, he tried to see if he could spot Tomlan anywhere nearby, but saw no sign of him.

"_Monsieur_ Tomlan?" He called out. Receiving no answer, Antoine guessed that he might have gone further into the wood, and headed in that direction. However, his search there didn't turn up anything either. Returning to the house, he was wondering if Tomlan really did decide to leave on his own when he happened to notice a brown mass on the ground over on the far left side of the hill. Curious, Antoine ventured over for a better look at it.

When he was close enough to discern what the strange object was, he leapt back with a terrified yell. It turned out to be Tomlan, lying flat on his stomach. His eyes were wide open, like he was surprised, and a scarlet dart protruded from the back of his neck. Antoine didn't need to get any closer to determine if Tomlan was alive or not. That glassy, unblinking look in his eyes told him all he needed to know.

Becoming aware of the possibility that the assassin could still be lurking around somewhere, Antoine threw himself to the ground and crawled over to the protection of a small cluster of boulders. Where could the assassin be? He scanned the vicinity for any indicators that might give away the killer's presence, but saw nothing. Just as he was wondering if he should try to make a dash for the house, Antoine thought he spied what appeared to be a small patch of black standing out amidst the leafy crown of one of the tall sassafras trees standing across from Tomlan's house. Whatever it was, it vanished in the sliver of a second.

Back inside Tomlan's home, a bored Stormblaze wondered what was taking Tomlan and now Antoine so long to return. Walking over to the door, he opened it and ducked his head out, looking for the absent Mobians. He was greatly surprised to see Antoine crawling around in the dirt over by some rocks. Something had to be wrong. From what Stormblaze knew of his friend, Antoine shunned getting dirty. Mystified, he stepped outside to find out what was happening.

Antoine had been closely watching the sassafras, trying to see if he could spot anything else unusual, when he noticed Stormblaze coming his way. At the same time, he heard what sounded like someone softly drawing breath. It had come from somewhere close by, from a place that was moderately high up off the ground – one of the trees, most likely. He had a horrible idea of what would follow after that sound.

Antoine knew that even if he threw all of his weight at Stormblaze he would still probably not be able to knock him over. So he did the only other thing he could think of: he threw himself right into Stormblaze's path, tripping the surprised unicorn. His balance suddenly thrown off, Stormblaze let out a startled cry as he toppled forward like a felled tree and landed with a heavy thud. Antoine had to quickly scramble out of the way or risk being crushed. In that same instance, something small and red whizzed right over their heads.

"What in the name of the Source?" Stormblaze thundered, staring at Antoine in disbelief. Frantically, Antoine pointed at something behind him. Turning to see what it was for himself, Stormblaze's eyes went wide. Embedded in the trunk of a tree was a dart.

Stormblaze cursed himself for leaving his longbow inside. "What has happened here?" He asked, keeping his head low as he tried to spot anything suspicious.

"Tomlan is dead! Murdered!" Antoine shouted, flailing his arms about in his alarm. Not wanting the frightened coydog to make a target of himself, Stormblaze grabbed Antoine and made him stay down.

They didn't have to wait long for the mysterious killer to show up. As Antoine and Stormblaze watched, a dark figure leapt down from the boughs of one of the tree it had been hiding in and walked out into the open, towards the other two Mobians. The lithely-built stranger's most distinctive feature was that it had three arms instead of the usual two, marking it as a Mobian spider. What wasn't immediately obvious to Antoine and Stormblaze was its sex. Something about the spider's costuming that struck Antoine as being vaguely familiar somehow. He, or she, was clothed from head to toe in black. Scarlet wrappings swathed its wrists and ankles, and a scarlet sash wrapped around its slim waist. The spider's face was completely covered by a cowl, aside from a small opening for its eyes which allowed it to see.

It suddenly became clear to Antoine as to why the stranger's dark garb seemed familiar. He knew that Tails was a big fan of comic books and had several of them in his possession. The two-tailed fox kit liked showing his comics to Antoine and the other Freedom Fighters and talking about the various characters featured in them. Antoine remembered that some of those characters had included stealthy warriors who dressed in dark clothing and wielded eastern-style weapons. What were they been called again?

By now, both Stormblaze and Antoine were standing. Stormblaze's eyes were narrowed dangerously as he glared at the spider. "I take you are the one who slew Tomlan?" He demanded. "Are you in the employ of the Order Of Ixis?"

Silence. The spider merely stared at the duo, unmoving.

Stormblaze remained undaunted. "So, the strong silent type, are we? I suppose one would have to be, to slay another in such a cowardly manner."

This finally seemed to provoke the arachnid into reacting, though not with the blind infuriation that Stormblaze had been hoping for. Coolly and deliberately, the spider extended its right arms – all three of them - towards Stormblaze and Antoine. Palms facing upwards, it simultaneously waggled all twelve fingers at them. It was a clear invitation to come and fight.

A grim sort of smile on his long muzzle, Stormblaze knelt down. Gathering a bit of earth in one hand, he rubbed both hands together until his palms were coated with dirt. As Antoine watched, when Stormblaze had completed that curious ritual, he stood and drew forth his spatha. In turn, the spider reached behind its back for its own weapon, which turned out to be a unique-looking straight sword that tapered to a chiseled point. It easily slid out from the scabbard the spider wore with a light metallic ring.

The oddly matched fighters carefully circled one another, blades raised as each searched for an opening to strike. Then, everything seemed to explode in a flurry of movement.

Stormblaze attacked first. But the spider was much quicker then Stormblaze, jaw droppingly so. Antoine could barely register the spider dodging the thrust of the spatha and vaulting over Stormblaze's head, using his shoulders as leverage. Landing out of his reach, it made some sort of hand gesture at Stormblaze, who was only just now turning in his foe's direction.

The fight continued much in this same manner. Stormblaze would slash at the spider, but it managed to evade his attacks and sometimes used its own blade to parry them (but just barely at times, as Stormblaze definitely held the advantage of greater strength), all the while making those odd gestures when able to. Once, after nimbly bounding over a sword thrust aimed at its midsection, the spider spun around in midair and cut Stormblaze right across the chest, forcing him back with a pained grunt. Antoine grimaced in sympathy. He knew the wound would heal quickly, but it still looked like it had hurt. He hoped the healing wouldn't sap Stormblaze's energy too much.

'_Ninja!'_ Antoine suddenly remembered with a jolt. She – he, whichever the spider was, was a ninja. It was then that Antoine noticed some sort of silky white thread entwining around Stormblaze's legs and right arm, namely his wrist and upper arm. Webbing, he realized. At first it had barely even been visible.

Stormblaze had noticed the webbing too, and struggled valiantly against it, trying to cut at it with his spatha, but it held strong, binding his limbs tightly. The substance was also hindering his movements. The spider, who was standing back holding a line of webbing that was attached to the webbing entangling Stormblaze, gave the line a strong tug.

Stormblaze's right fist suddenly jerked up and back – and straight at his face. It connected with a sickening thud. Several more yanks on the line resulted in this. Soon he was wobbling in place and looking like he had gone ten rounds with a dragon.

Now that it didn't have to worry so much about staying out of its enemy's reach, the spider shot a new line of webbing out from each wrist at Stormblaze. Once the strands hit Stormblaze's webbed-up legs, the spider wrenched on them with all of its might. The force pulled the dazed unicorn right off his feet, and he landed squarely on his back.

Antoine didn't realized that he had been holding his breath for nearly the entirety of the fight. He never would have believed that someone as powerful as Stormblaze could be defeated by an opponent not even half his size if he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes. He supposed it was now his turn to step up. It would be shameful to not to avenge Stormblaze after all.

Unsheathing his sabre, Antoine rushed at the spider, shouting out a challenge as he pointed his sabre at it. "_En garde_!"

The spider turned in his direction. One swift flick of its wrist, and Antoine stopped, startled to suddenly find himself minus one sabre. The spider had used a strand of webbing to snag the blade, which was now securely clasped in one of its six hands. Not only had Antoine been disarmed ridiculously fast, but now he was completely vulnerable. Outside the scant amount of sword training he had received when he was younger, he had no other forms of combat training to fall back on. Princess Sally had never tried to teach him any self-defense techniques like she had Bunnie.

Swallowing hard, Antoine began slowly backing away from the ninja, ears flat against his skull in submission and his hands out in front of him as he did. The spider's violet eyes watched him in a decidedly calculating fashion before she approached him in a leisurely manner, like it was out for a stroll in the park or something. Unnerved, Antoine now turned to run, but the spider quickly performed a neat flip that carried it over Antoine's head. The arachnid landed right in front of him, cutting off his escape. The last thing Antoine saw was a foot flying right at his face before he was knocked into unconsciousness.

* * *

The spider glanced between her two latest victims, her sword in hand once more. She found herself feeling disappointed by how easily she had beaten them, the canine in particular. These days, it was becoming rarer and rarer for her to find worthy opponents who could present a real challenge to her. Well, no matter. Her job here was done. After she decapitated these interlopers, she would be on her way. Hopefully her masters would have an assignment for her that would really put her talents to the test.

Out of the motley pair, the mule was the most dangerous one. Positioning herself over him, the arachnid started to raise her prized sword, known as a _ninjato_, over her head to deliver the killing blow.

"Uma!" A masculine voice suddenly snapped, interrupting the spider in mid-swing. The speaker sounded distant, and his slightly distorted voice echoed as though he were speaking from inside a tunnel. Although no one but her and the other two Mobians were present and the latter were both unconscious, the spider, Uma, wasn't alarmed in the least at being addressed by a voice that seemed to have come from nowhere. She lowered her _ninjato_ so that the blade was directly in front of her face. The reflection in the finely polished silvery metal was not Uma's own, but that of a somewhat annoyed-looking Mobian raven who stared back at her. It was he who had spoken.

"I trust you have taken care of our loose end?" The bird smoothly asked, tone now deceptively calm.

Uma nodded once.

Seeing the gesture, the raven seemed to genuinely relax this time, though only slightly. "Excellent. Now, return as quickly as you can. Your services are required yet again. There will be plenty of heads for you to take, I assure you."

Another nod from Uma signified her understanding of his orders. Returning her _ninjato_ to its sheath, she glanced between the mule and the dog again before finally leaving. She doubted the fools would ever realize how close they had come to death this day.

* * *

In the next few hours, Stormblaze was the first to stir. His healing abilities allowed him to recover at a speedier rate then Antoine. Seeing the smaller Mobian lying motionless on the ground, he panicked at first, but then realized that Antoine was still breathing and carefully awakened him. Aside from some bruises and a tender and rather swollen muzzle (all of which Stormblaze tended to), Antoine turned out to be alright. Physically, at least.

A Mobian whom they had promised to protect had died on their watch, and the murderer had beaten them both quite soundly. To add insult to injury, the spider had driven Antoine's sabre point-first into the ground right by his head. Like Antoine, Stormblaze found it difficult to believe that Tomlan had been alive and speaking with them only hours ago, but now lay lifeless on the ground, covered by a white sheet. Stormblaze concluded that the dart Tomlan had been shot with was coated with some sort of poison. The poor fellow might have been a bit rude, but he didn't deserve such a fate.

Neither was in a very talkative mood as they solemnly scraped away at the earth outside of Tomlan's house, digging a grave for the deceased Mobian. At first they had tried to locate some digging tools to use, but apparently Tomlan hadn't believed in owning any, probably due to his being an aardvark and therefore already having natural digging tools - his own claws - at hand. Fortunately, thanks to the spring rains, the ground wasn't especially hard.

Stormblaze was a little surprised to see that having to dig, especially with his bare hands, didn't seem to bother Antoine. In truth, the coydog wasn't particularly upset by it - he felt it was the least he could do for Tomlan. Plus, sometimes he would tend to the flower bed that grew outside Princess Sally's hut (in hope of currying her favor) and had poked around in Knothole's vegetable garden as well, so by this point he was used to getting dirt on his hands.

The one brief bright point of the evening was that Antoine actually got to witness Stormblaze utilizing his powers of healing before they began the grim task of burying Tomlan. The last time Stormblaze had healed him, Antoine hadn't been looking. He found that it was a rather fascinating procedure to watch.

On Stormblaze's orders, he rolled up his sleeve to expose his right arm. Stormblaze lowered his head and carefully tapped Antoine's bare arm twice with his horn, then placed his hand upon the limb. His horn and his hand began glowing a silver color, bathing their immediate surroundings in its' cool radiance. In the same instance, a wave of warmth flowed through Antoine. When both the silver light and the warmth had subsided, so too had any pain and the like. Afterwards, Stormblaze wasn't quite as drained as he had been when he cured Antoine's hangover yesterday, though he did appear slightly winded and needed to sit still for a moment to gather his strength.

When they finally had a hole that was deep enough and the right size, Stormblaze placed Tomlan's corpse inside it. Antoine had made it exceedingly clear that he was very uncomfortable having to deal with a dead body. The entire time he had tried not to look at it. With the corpse in its grave, they started the process of covering it with the loose soil. Once that task was concluded, Stormblaze placed a marker, a white medium-sized oblong stone that he and Antoine had chanced upon in the woodland, at its head.

They stood over the grave, staring down at it. Stormblaze began speaking in his native tongue. Antoine had no clue what he was saying, but correctly figured that he was reciting some type of prayer. He thought the language sounded somewhat lovely in its own odd, ancient way.

Once Stormblaze finished his prayer, he raised his head to study the sky. Already a deep shade of cobalt blue, it had grown increasingly dark thanks to the heavy cumulus clouds gathering forebodingly overhead, matching their present moods. He turned his attention to Antoine. "It is time to leave. We have lost precious hours here." He said, firmly but not unkindly.

Antoine lingered, gazing forlornly at the grave for a few minutes more before going to the house to retrieve their gear. Stormblaze waited quietly, knowing better then to rush him. It was plain to see why Antoine so rattled. He wondered if Antoine had ever seen a corpse before. Based on what he said about being a Freedom Fighter, then surely he would have had to at some point before. He decided he would have to ask him about that, but at a better time perhaps.

Stormblaze fully understood that death was neither a pretty or trivial thing. He recalled the time when he slew his first flesh-and-blood foes. They were two mercenaries employed by Robotnik who attacked Sir Connery and himself as they were preparing to settle down for the night. He recalled how it had taken him some time to get over the image that had been seared into his mind of the mercenaries' crimson blood staining his blade, even though at the same time he felt some satisfaction that such vermin were no longer free to go around terrorizing innocent Mobians. Antoine would have to get over his own squeamishness at some point if he was going to become a knight, just as Stormblaze himself had.

Antoine returned, his knapsack slung across his back and carrying Stormblaze's longbow and quiver. Though the items were unwieldy in his arms, he managed to bring them to Stormblaze without too much trouble.

Now that they had their belongings, the pair proceeded to go back the way they had come down the forest trail. After a while, Stormblaze could no longer take the silence that hung heavily in the air between them like a winter fog. Discussing what had occurred might help to clear the air.

"None of this was your fault, you know."

Frowning, Antoine glanced away. "I was being the one to tell him that we would be protecting him. I did not do that."

"You had no idea that there was an assassin lying in wait for him. In truth, yes, we both could have stood to have been more vigilant. But at the same time, you must accept the fact that a knight cannot always keep everyone safe. Death takes who it will. Do not allow yourself to be consumed by regret."

Antoine didn't respond and kept his eyes averted, only nodding woodenly instead. He still looked miserable.

"You did save one life today. My own." This time, Antoine gave Stormblaze a puzzled look, so he took the liberty of refreshing his memory. "Do you recall when I was nearly struck by that dart, but you tripped me and it hit a tree instead? There was no knowing what kind of poison it had on it. It could have been something potent enough to interfere with my healing abilities. For that, you have my gratitude."

Stormblaze could see Antoine considering that. "You are being welcome." He finally replied, a little awkwardly. Stormblaze surmised that having people actually thank him wasn't something Antoine experienced very often. He could sympathize.

Even after Stormblaze's attempt at consoling him, Antoine still wasn't in a very talkative mood. Stormblaze tried to strike up a conversation with him a few times, but it would always gradually peter off at some point and they would return to silence. Eventually, Stormblaze decided that it would be best to give him some time to himself. It would probably be a while before Antoine would be back to his old verbose self.

When the rain-heavy clouds finally burst, drenching the earth with their cold wet contents, the two travelers went scurrying for the nearest rain break they could find, which happened to be a rock shelf jutting out from the side of a rocky hill that bordered a narrow meadow. On the other side of the meadow was a forest.

Once he was underneath the rock shelf, Antoine looked at his soaked clothing and fur in dismay. He didn't hate water, but did dislike getting his uniform wet. In an effort to get rid of the loose water, he shook himself off, sending water droplets flying everywhere. He was forced to quickly spring back or risk being soaked all over again when Stormblaze did the same.

Sighing, Antoine leaned against the rock wall, arms crossed as he peered out at the rainstorm. _'Could this day get any worse?'_ He wondered? "I am hoping this will not be going on all night. This is not being a good place to sleep." He said aloud.

"I could keep watch for the night." Stormblaze volunteered as he pulled his tunic hood over his shoulder and wrung it out. "I can abstain from sleep for an entire day if need be."

Antoine gave an appreciative nod in response to his offer. Back in Knothole Village, there were times when he had been affected by insomnia for assorted reasons (usually his brooding or worrying over something), especially the week prior to leaving there. But as of late, the strenuousness of his journey often left him feeling tired and caused him to fall asleep much quicker than he could before. He didn't think he could stay awake the whole night.

Stormblaze settled down on the ground, his back to the rock as he observed the downpour. Antoine remained where he was for the time being. Wanting to take his mind off their current dreary circumstances, he decided to talk to Stormblaze.

"There is something I am not understanding. Why did the ninja not kill us? He was certainly having the chance to." Antoine didn't really like bringing that humiliating incident back up again, but the question had been nagging at him like a mosquito buzzing about his ears for some time now. Still though, he certainly was thankful that the spider hadn't finished them off either.

There was something else that Antoine found curious. After they had both regained consciousness, Stormblaze didn't seem to be upset at him for allowing himself to be knocked out by the spider, which surprised him. Most everyone else Antoine knew would have been upset. Princess Sally wouldn't have been able to disguise the disappointment in her eyes whenever she glanced his way, and Sonic would have acerbically remarked that he needed to leave the fighting up to the real heroes. Antoine wondered if Stormblaze really was displeased with him, but was a good actor and just not showing it.

"The only thing I can think of is that he did not wish to kill us in the first place. Or perhaps he did not get the opportunity to do so." Stormblaze replied, not taking his eyes away from the scene outside their shelter.

"When I was seeing how the ninja defeated you," Antoine saw Stormblaze wince at that - he didn't like being reminded of their trouncing either, "I was wanting to avenge you, so I prepared to fight him myself. Only… um, he was taking _mon_ sabre away from _moi_. Then I was being kicked and knocked out." He turned his eyes away from the unicorn, humiliated by yet another failure in a long line of many on his part. However, Stormblaze's answer not only left Antoine astonished, but mystified as well.

"I do not expect you to be able to take on combatants of that caliber and win. That would be like expecting you to know how to steer a ship when you have never been taught how to do so. And by the stars, that… ninja character defeated _me_. So do not feel guilty."

Wondering if he was being serious, Antoine stared at Stormblaze. Stormblaze returned Antoine's gaze, wearing an expression that held no annoyance or anything of the sort, only serenity and sage understanding.

Relieved that Stormblaze truly wasn't disappointed or cross after all, Antoine finally relaxed. He came to sit beside Stormblaze, listening as the other Mobian went on. "I will train you just as I said I would. There will be more opportunities in the future for the both of us to achieve glory and mete out justice to the Order."

"I am hoping so." Again Antoine found himself baffled by the unicorn. Why did Stormblaze seem to believe he was worth bothering with? Sometimes even Antoine himself didn't think he was worth bothering with. Aside from a select few individuals, no one usually wanted to spend any time with him unless they had to for some reason. Most Mobians were content to dismiss him as the annoying guy, the idiot, and other labels in that vein, and leave him to himself. He had believed that constantly talking about himself and how extraordinary he was would help him feel better about himself and get other Mobians to like and admire him, but that empty ache that had been inside of him for some time now had only lingered and grown even worse. Antoine couldn't help but wonder if Stormblaze was only allowing him to tag along with him out of pity, but there seemed to be more to it than that. Well, at least Antoine hoped there was.

"Why are you really saying that? Are you just trying to be nice, or are you pitying _moi_?" He asked, staring hard at Stormblaze.

"Why? Well for one, it would be foolish of me to become angry at you for not being able to do something you were never properly taught how to do in the first place. Secondly, I consider you to be my friend. I know you need someone who will stand by your side, little wolf. And truthfully, I need somebody like that too. More so," he added, "You need a mentor, someone who can help you realize your potential and guide you through life's storms. You forget that I too know what it is like when no one will take you seriously and treats you like a laughingstock. My teachers believed me to be lazy and willful. Their doubt inspired me to work hard and excel at my duties, and when the time came, I successfully passed my classes."

Stormblaze's speech left Antoine silent. For him, having others tell him that they thought of him as a friend was a rarity. The fact that Stormblaze actually considered him to be one made him want to start grinning happily and never stop, but he only allowed himself a small but content smile. He began to feel guilty for having questioned Stormblaze's motives like he had. Since they had resolved the business of Antoine's propensity to stretch the truth and put the incident involving Bogg behind them, Stormblaze had done nothing to give Antoine cause for mistrust. Granted, he did tend to tease Antoine a little, but his joking didn't bother Antoine the way Sonic's did. Stormblaze's teasing had a more playful and good-natured tone to it.

"I... um... _merci beaucoup_. I have never really been having very many good _mon amis_ before, and have never had a mentor." He confessed. "But I would like both. I will do whatever you say if it will be making _moi_ a great knight!"

The unicorn laughed appreciatively, liking Antoine's eagerness. "That's the spirit. Stick with old Stormblaze, I'll give you a helping hand."

* * *

Antoine stood still as Stormblaze finished tying the blindfold in place around his head. In his left hand Antoine clutched a shaved tree branch, the end of which was pared down to a blunt point that was presently pointing at the ground. Sunup had only arrived an hour and a half ago. They were still near the rock shelf where they had had spent the night waiting out the rainstorm. Antoine's lingering sleepiness was gone, replaced by excited nervousness when Stormblaze had explained the reason why he had awakened him so early.

"Stormblaze, are you being sure of this?" Antoine asked, uncertainty infusing his voice. Stormblaze had told him that now was as good a time as any to begin his sword training before continuing their trek. He had gone on to say that they would no doubt be attacked many more times during their travels, so Antoine should at least have something of a fighting chance at protecting himself. After they had left the Watering Hole, Antoine had noticed Stormblaze trimming down two long tree branches he had found in his spare time, and realized he was making practice swords for their usage. Antoine only hoped he wouldn't look too incompetent when he squared off against Stormblaze. "What if I am accidentally hurting you?"

Stormblaze couldn't help but chuckle at that as he crossed over to the other side of the clearing and turned to face Antoine. "Do not fret. I can heal myself, remember?"

Still somewhat anxious, Antoine used his free hand to tug at the strip of white cloth covering his eyes. "What is being the meaning of this blinderfold?" He couldn't understand how he was supposed to fight when he couldn't even see anything. He had never trained in such a manner before. It didn't help that his stick was rather heavy. When he had asked Stormblaze why this was, he replied that Antoine needed to build up his strength and stamina, and having to wield such a heavy stick would help with that.

"Blindfold. It's how we train on Avalonia. It helps hone one's senses," Stormblaze said, holding up his own stick, which was longer then Antoine's. Pointing it at Antoine, he grinned and shouted, "Now then, have at you!"

Taking a deep breath, Antoine ran in the direction he had heard Stormblaze's voice coming from, raising his "sword". Stormblaze awaited his charge, and easily blocked the first couple of clumsy attacks aimed his way before scoring a direct hit to the right side of Antoine's torso with his own branch. He took care not to strike too hard of course, but it still smarted Antoine.

Antoine gingerly rubbed his ribs before lashing out wildly, hoping to just get lucky and hit Stormblaze, but the unicorn succeeded in deftly parrying each and every one of his strikes. They might have been coming at him fast, but Antoine was being rash. As a result, his attacks were sloppy and wild. Seeing an opening, Stormblaze counterattacked, bringing his stick down on Antoine's left shoulder.

Gritting his teeth against the stinging pain, Antoine swung out with all his might, but still missed.

"Stop! Use your senses to locate me!" He heard Stormblaze call out. This time, he sounded like he was standing somewhere to Antoine's left.

'_This is hopeless!'_ Antoine thought, nearly tripping over his own feet as he tried to turn in Stormblaze's direction. _'It's harder than trying to find a blind Mobian in a haystack!'_

Believing that he had Stormblaze now, a sense of anticipation arose within him. Lunging, he stabbed outwards. A sharp 'crack!' rang out through the air as stick clashed against stick. Dismayed at being thwarted by Stormblaze yet again, Antoine tried to suppress a growl of frustration.

"Focus, little wolf!" Stormblaze warned, sensing the growing irritation rising off his student in hot waves. "Lose yourself to anger, and you lose the battle!" Antoine's latest attack had forced him to act fast in order to avoid getting hit. So far, it was the first time Antoine had actually come close to landing a blow. Now Stormblaze stood only four feet from Antoine, watching as the coydog flailed around haplessly. Time for him to reengage his "enemy" before Antoine wore himself out attacking air, Stormblaze supposed.

A swift rap to the hand forced Antoine to drop his stick. Hastily, he dropped down on his hands and knees, trying to feel around for it, but the stick he felt jabbing him in the back just then told him that the battle was effectively over with. With a dejected sigh, Antoine removed his blindfold and stood.

"Take heart," Stormblaze said reassuringly. "This was only our first training session. One lesson isn't going to instantly turn you into an expert. But with the help of yours' truly, you could become a fine swordsman."

"You… you really are thinking so? You are not just saying that?" Antoine asked. The slightest glimmer of hope, mingled with incredulity, had crept into his voice.

"Indeed I do. If you can just get those emotions of yours' under control and hone your foot and blade work. In a real battle, you will not have an opportunity to correct such errors should you happen to make them. Because you will be dead." To drive his point home, Stormblaze stared seriously at Antoine, earning a nervous gulp from the younger Mobian. "But you have a most extraordinary sense of hearing. _That_ is what I was trying to get you to utilize. And if I did not know any better, I would say that you were ambidextrous."

"Amber-what?"

"Ambidextrous. You can use both hands equally well." Although Stormblaze wasn't even remotely winded, he strode over to the edge of the clearing, where he seated himself on a large tree stump and set his stick aside.

"Oh." Antoine had never considered either of those things to be anything special, especially when compared to say, super-speed or the power to breathe fire. His hearing… well, a lot of the time, it seemed to be more of a curse then a blessing for him, especially when he was on edge. Then it was like his hearing was amplified a hundred times over. Even other Mobians, who could hear far better than any Overlander or human could, didn't seem to be able to hear the things that he could when he told them what his ears perceived. Sometimes he wondered if he was just being paranoid, or even going mad.

He shrugged as he came over to take a spot on the grass across from Stormblaze. "I am being left-handed, but _mes_ papa and _mes_ teachers at La Vallete were teaching me to use both hands. And sometimes I am wishing that I was not hearing all of the things I can."

At that last part, Stormblaze's ears perked up. "Heard some things you did not wish to hear, did you?" His voice was somewhat softer-sounding then what it typically was.

Antoine shuddered. "Too many times. If it is not being something scary like all the big machines and robots in Robotropolis, then it is… Sonic making the jokes about _moi_." Even though he liked having someone to confide in about his personal problems, since that meant he no longer had to bottle everything up like before, it was still hard for him to discuss more painful subjects.

"Do not concern yourself with that hedgehog," Stormblaze said, the curt edge in his tone indicating that he didn't think very much of Sonic. "From my personal experience, I find that those who derive pleasure from tormenting others are weak and without honor. And no, I do not care that the rest of your little club believes he is the greatest thing ever. I stand by my words." He quickly added when saw Antoine about to speak again. "So, even your old nanny believes this Sonic fellow's behavior is acceptable?"

"Rosie is liking all of us the same. But she is not knowing that this has been happening. She is either asleep or busy somewhere, and Sonic is being too crafty to do anything nasty when she actually is around. But I cannot be saying anything to her about it anyways." He threw Stormblaze a significant glance that basically said 'How pathetic would it look for a seventeen-year old knight-in-training to go running to his nanny for help?'

Catching the meaning behind Antoine's look, Stormblaze thoughtfully stroked his beard. "Yes, good point. I was placed in the same position myself back on Avalonia. But at least your nanny would likely act if she were to discover what was really happening. Most of the other unicorns did not even care that Rience and his friends treated me like something foul they had stepped in. Or either did not know or cared to."

"I am curious about that, actually. If you are not minding my asking, if hardly anyone there was liking you, then why did they trust you to find the Deep Power Stones?"

"That would be the doing of my old friend Raventail. Now, he is what should come to mind when you hear the term 'noble unicorn'. He is a fine fellow indeed." Stormblaze smiled as he reminisced about Raventail. "It's a wonder he became involved with a rogue such as myself. He's more scholar then warrior, you see. He was the one to convince the queen and the elders that I would be the creature best-suited for the task."

Antoine hoped he could meet this Raventail someday. If Stormblaze liked him, then he must have been an upstanding person. His thoughts then returned to what they had been discussing prior to the subject of their respective friends and adversaries. Something Stormblaze said earlier had raised a question in his mind. "Um, shouldn't you be teaching _moi_ how to actually be fighting? Why are we focusing on _mon_ hearing?"

"Because swinging a sword is not the only way to win a battle. You must also take into consideration things such as scouting or evading your enemies. Superb hearing is a most useful ability for a knight to have. With it, you can detect the approach of your foes before they spot you and find out how many of them there are in advance, or, if they're hidden, locate them. Why, if you trained long enough and hard enough, you may even become capable of fighting with your eyes shut, since you would still be aware of where you foes were and hear them as they are about to strike."

Antoine was greatly intrigued by this. He imagined himself taking part in a great battle, locked in furious combat with several enemy soldiers all at once and soundly defeating them without even having to see them. Such an extraordinary feat would almost certainly win him the respect and admiration of other Mobians. The other Freedom Fighters would finally start to treat him with respect and stop acting like he was a burden. Maybe he would go on to be even better then Sonic - better than anyone else!

"How am I going to be fine honing my hearing?" Antoine asked, eyes bright with zeal as he gazed at Stormblaze.

"I suppose the same way one learns how to do anything new, really - practice. Though I admit to never having taught someone how to utilize one of their senses before. Then again, I have never mentored anyone before either. But there's always a first time for everything, isn't there? We will practice every day if possible and see how it goes. Now, shall we try it again?" Picking his stick up, Stormblaze looked expectantly at Antoine.

Antoine rubbed his sore ribs again, imagining himself black and blue from repeated sword training sessions with Stormblaze. He had forgotten just how rigorous this sort of training could be. But if it meant improving his swordsmanship, then the pain was worth it.

Nodding, Antoine picked up his own stick and rose, the fires of determination clear in his eyes. "_Oui_, let us."

Translations:

French:

En garde: On (your) guard.

S'il vous plait: Please.

Spanish:

La Boca Del Infierno: The mouth of hell.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The camp the pair set up the following night was situated in a rather lovely spot, a small grove. Trees flowered overhead, occasionally sending down a soft pink cascade of flower petals whenever the cool night wind picked up. Stormblaze had told Antoine that the heavy perfume of the blossoms would mask their respective scents in case any undesirables came seeking them out.

Antoine had been pleased to discover that Stormblaze had the same taste in stories he did, so the two entertained themselves sharing the legends and exploits of famous knights and other such figures from their respective cultures between them along the latest stretch of their journey. Both this and his sword training exercises had helped Antoine take his mind off Tomlan's murder, but he was never truly able to shake the feelings of guilt that haunted him.

With the rising of the moon into the inky blue heavens, the time came for them to turn in. Stormblaze was already inside the tent, having chosen to sleep in it for the night. Antoine hadn't believed that he would be able to fit his bulk within the tent, but Stormblaze thought otherwise. Though his pasterns and hooves protruded out from between the tent flaps and he was forced to scrunch himself up in order to fit the rest of his body inside, he was already dozing off.

Antoine was not quite ready to go to sleep just yet. He lay sprawled on the grass outside the tent, his arms folded behind his head and one leg propped up over the other. His eyes were fixed on the star-studded sky, admiring the view.

Since meeting Stormblaze, being outside after dark by himself in an unfamiliar place was a far less intimidating prospect for Antoine then it had once been. He found that having a friend nearby, particularly a fearless one whose mere size would discourage many would-be threats, was reassuring. Antoine had also come to greatly appreciate the company of someone who was willing to tolerate his idiosyncrasies with such amazing patience. He felt more comfortable speaking to Stormblaze about certain matters he knew he wouldn't easily be able to approach somebody like Bunnie or Rosie about.

Seeing how the moon drenched everything in silver light and the way the breeze lifted the fallen flower petals and blew them around as if though playing with them had him in a decidedly poetic mood. Rosie had once told Antoine that he inherited his love of poetry from his mother. He decided that his latest poem should be about one of his favorite subjects – Princess Sally. Although poetry and flowers hadn't done the trick in winning the princess' affections, he hoped that she would be impressed with him when he returned to Knothole Village and she saw that he too could be a courageous male of action.

As each verse came to mind, the coydog began to recite them aloud.

"To my beautiful princess,

I must confess,

That you are the most wonderful girl ever!

You are quick and clever,

Your eyes sparkle like the stars,

And you are as grand as the moon.

You smell of flowers in bloom,

And your wonderfulness could not be…" He paused, playing around with different words as he tried to think of a good way to complete the verse. "… Held in a hundred jars!" Antoine wished he had bought some paper and writing instruments along. Hopefully he could remember his spectacular poem until he was able to write it all down.

Awakened by the loud mumbling of his companion, Stormblaze shuffled around inside the tent before poking his head out from between the flaps and peering over at Antoine. His forelock hung sloppily over his left eye. "What are you up to, little wolf?" He asked, voice thick with grogginess.

"Oh, just thinking of a poem for _mon_ princess," He replied with a dreamy sigh, too preoccupied with mooning over his unrequited love to actually look at Stormblaze. "The moon is reminding _moi_ of her beauty."

Stormblaze rolled his eyes. "Oi." He grumbled, using a term he'd picked up from some British Mobians he met earlier on his travels. Since learning of this Sally person from Antoine, he had come to the conclusion that Antoine was still infatuated with her, causing him to view her through rose-colored glasses. From what Antoine had told him of her, she didn't sound all that marvelous to Stormblaze anyways – more like the parochially-narrow nobility who had been overindulged one time too many by their subjects that he had often seen on Avalonia and elsewhere. It was beyond him as to why anyone would pledge fidelity to such individuals.

"I thought you said that your princess had chosen another." He bluntly pointed out.

"Uh, well… _oui_, I have seen her hold hands with Sonic sometimes," Antoine admitted. Realizing how diffident he sounded just then, Antoine put a little more strength into his voice when he spoke again. "But I am hoping that I could be having another chance to win her heart after we are completing our quest."

"Why do you insist upon pursuing a girl who treats you as though you do not even exist?"

"She knows I am existing." There was a sudden steely edge to the coydog's voice. Stormblaze's words had struck a nerve.

Stormblaze gave a loud snort of derision. "Is that so? Well, how does she treat you then? Like a trusted friend and cohort, or the hired help? Or perhaps… more like a nuisance?"

At his protégé's annoyed silence, a cheerless smile spread across Stormblaze's muzzle. "Just as I thought. Take it from me, little wolf – you would be much better off finding someone else. A diamond in the rough is worth far more than some gaudy bauble."

"_Gaudy bauble_?" Antoine repeated, outraged. How dare he speak of his princess in such a manner! "She is not!"

"Of course she isn't. And I'm a dolphin," Stormblaze dryly replied, totally unfazed by Antoine's show of anger. "Trust me when I warn you about Mobians like her."

"Are _you_ having a _petite amie_?"

"If you must know, I did at one time on Avalonia." Stormblaze couldn't see what that had to do with the point he was trying to make, but decided to oblige Antoine.

"And? What happened to her?"

"She left me for some… what is the term you Mobians would use? Oh, yes. Pretty boy. He also happens to be the son of one of the captains in the queen's warband and was a top athlete at my academy."

Antoine recognized that faux-cheerful tone of Stormblaze's all too well. He himself had used it with Bunnie before leaving Knothole, when she had told him that the others would be worried about him and he had doubted that any of them really would. Antoine was quiet before uttering an awkward, "Oh. _Je suis desole_ - I am sorry -"

Stormblaze shrugged indifferently. "Do not apologize. Those two were meant for one another as far as I'm concerned. The same can likely be said of your precious princess and her spiky-headed beau. If you are not some flashy bigwig, then most girls and those in lofty positions especially want nothing to do with you. It is an unfortunate fact of life for gentlemen such as us." He paused momentarily, sighing. It gave him no joy to tell Antoine any of this, but he felt his protégé needed to have the truth laid out for him. "I do admit that I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a paramour who truly loved me for me, but ultimately I have no need for female companionship. The freedom of the open road, the call of adventure - they are my mistresses."

Listening to Stormblaze, Antoine frowned slightly but didn't say anything. Choosing to live as a lifelong bachelor? It sounded like a terribly lonely existence to him, even if one could go on all the adventures in the world. Antoine was a romantic at heart, and liked the idea of having someone to come home to at the end of the day, a girl he could talk to and treat like a queen. Regrettably for him, his own desired someone had eyes for another and _did_ seem to be aggravated by him half of the time.

"My advice for you would be to take that poetic spirit of yours' and pen a ballad about a legendary knight or a nice bloody battle instead, since you are so interested in tales of heroism and swashbuckling." Stormblaze said, interrupting Antoine's thoughts. "You know, like a warrior-poet."

"A warrior-poet?..." Antoine mulled the idea over, looking at his hands speculatively. "I was not knowing that there was such a thing."

"Oh yes, there is. I will tell you more about it tomorrow." Stormblaze ducked his head back inside the tent. Antoine realized that his departing words were code for "Now let me get some rest." As he tried to decide whether he too should go to sleep or attempt to compose a poem about swords, Stormblaze's voice, slightly muffled now thanks to the tent, said, "If you absolutely insist upon reciting more poems, go elsewhere please, or I shall bind and gag you."

* * *

Eight days of traveling had flown past for Antoine and Stormblaze, with nothing hazardous or out of the ordinary occurring along the way. Lately they had begun to notice that the land was becoming more rugged and mountainous. Indeed, not too far off in the distance, white-capped mountains wreathed in fog stood silhouetted against the sky. They were actually part of a mountain range known as the Greenbacks due to its heavily forested hills, which provided excellent cover and hiding places from SWATBots and other enemies. In fact, it was speculated that Robotnik hadn't bothered with the area much because of the roughness of the terrain.

On this particular morning, Antoine and Stormblaze were busy preparing breakfast. Or rather, Stormblaze was.

"I grow weary of this particular breakfast item. Surely you could've begrudged me a few leaves to toss into the batter." Stormblaze groused. He was kneeling over a small fire, a hot skillet in one hand and using the spatula in his other hand to carefully flip one of the small pancakes in the skillet over in order to cook the raw side. His comment wasn't completely serious – he was quite certain that Antoine wouldn't want to try eating leaves anytime soon - but when he received no response, he glanced over at Antoine. His friend was staring off into space. No doubt his mind was elsewhere. Intrigued, Stormblaze addressed Antoine in a raised voice. "Is there something on your mind, little wolf?"

Hearing Stormblaze's voice this time, Antoine started. "Huh? Oh, _désolé_. I was just thinking that I have not been doing very much good on my quest so far." Getting up, he started pacing back and forth in frustration. "I need to be doing something heroic, something that will be setting _moi_ apart from everybody else!"

"Give it time, or else you will drive yourself mad," Stormblaze soothed, casually waving the spatula at him. "Our journey is far from over. One cannot rush these kinds of things."

"But I feel like I have been waiting forever!" Antoine exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "First, I was having to wait for years until I could finally be thinking of my brilliant plan to go on a quest in the first place! But what good is going on one if I am not able to do anything amazing?"

"I can sympathize with your sentiments. The Source knows I arrived on these shores craving adventure myself. We will be in Sierra Verde soon enough and you will get your action then, that I assure you."

"If you are saying so…" Antoine replied, though an element of doubt lingered in his voice.

"As your elder, you should heed my words. After all, we are supposed to be older and wiser then everyone else, are we not?"

Antoine understood that Stormblaze meant his remark only as a joke, but still couldn't help scoffing disbelievingly. "Elder? You are only being a few years older than I am!"

Stormblaze laughed heartily. "I'm afraid you're quite wrong. I am actually fifty summers old."

Antoine studied Stormblaze with renewed fascination. "Really? Unicorns are being immortal, _oui_?" The myths couldn't quite seem to agree whether unicorns were true immortals or just possessed of exceptionally long life spans.

"Well, we're not immortal per say. There are things that can kill us. Like war, for instance." Stormblaze said with a hint of irony. Seeing that the pancakes were done, he scooped them up with the spatula and set each down on a stack of seven previously cooked pancakes that were resting on a plate close at hand. "But as long as we are allowed to age uninterrupted, then our bodies do so at a much slower rate than a mortal's body, and we live longer than most as well," He continued. "The oldest unicorn I have personally ever heard of was three hundred-and-fifty years old."

A mournful howl in the distance disrupted their discussion. Antoine jumped and looked around wildly at their surroundings, his complaints and everything else forgotten for the moment. The first howl was soon answered by another that sounded closer to their location.

"What is that?" Stormblaze took a look around for himself, trying to see if he could spot the source of the haunting cries.

"Wolves," Antoine answered, feeling his heart rate return to normal. He had heard the howls of wolves before, but that didn't make it any less startling to just suddenly hear out in the middle of nowhere. So there were wolves in the area then. He wondered if it was the Wolf Pack, a group of Freedom Fighters who operated out of a largely uncharted region to the west of the Acorn Kingdom referred to as the Great Unknown, but then figured they probably wouldn't trek this far out of their usual range. Whoever these wolves were, hopefully they were friendly.

With the food finally finished, he and Stormblaze shared a breakfast of plain pancakes between themselves. Antoine found himself sorely missing butter, syrup, and jam, but Stormblaze had managed to hunt down some berries earlier to go with their meal, making the pancakes slightly more palatable.

Once they were done eating, the pair packed up the tent along with the rest of their gear, strewed sand on the fire to put it out, and moved on. Sure enough, they eventually did spy a wolf. The sleek gray figure was crouched on a rock outcropping far across the valley, a long spear in one hand, apparently in the act of observing them. They had nearly missed seeing it because the other Mobian's coat closely matched the color of the stones; only the indigo hue of its clothing stood out. Due to the distance between the wolf and Antoine and Stormblaze, it was difficult for them to make out any distinguishing physical features it might have had, but judging by its physique it was female.

Shortly after they had sighted the wolf, seven other wolves of varying colors, sizes, and shapes melted like ghosts out of the early morning shadows formed by the tall pines and other trees and congregated around the outcropping. The first wolf gracefully leapt down to land feet first among her fellows. Antoine and Stormblaze watched the large canines as they appeared to converse with one another. It dawned on Antoine that there was something familiar about these wolves.

"It _is_ being the Wolf Pack." He finally said, astonished.

"You know them?"

"_Oui_. They are also being Freedom Fighters. My comrades and I were meeting them when we were out searching for other Freedom Fighter groups. The gray _femme_ is their leader Lupe," Antoine verified. "I am not recognizing the black or white wolves though."

"Why don't we go over and say hello?" Stormblaze suggested.

Antoine frowned. "Since when were you being the social type, Stormblaze?"

"You act as if they're going to eat us or something." The unicorn teased in return. "If they are allies of your little group, then they should not have a problem with us greeting them."

Antoine just mumbled something under his breath as he lowered his eyes and kicked at a stone. He correctly figured Stormblaze wasn't about to change his mind, no matter how much he protested. Personally, he felt rather uncomfortable with the idea of approaching the Wolf Pack. After all, as the leader of her pack, Lupe outranked both him and Stormblaze, and being one so focused on protocol and tradition, it felt disrespectful to Antoine to approach her and her pack without being invited over first. Plus, he found the larger wolves to be… well, kind of daunting at times. He couldn't quite put his finger on exactly why they made him so nervous. He knew this fear of his was strange, even for him. There was no denying that the Wolf Pack were useful allies in the war against Robotnik, but they could get intense. Maybe their large pointed teeth and fearsome fighting abilities also played a part in why he tended to become so uneasy around them. Generally, the intimidation seemed completely unintentional on the pack's part, but he had no idea how they would react to his and Stormblaze's presences here. He clearly recalled from his first encounter with the Wolf Pack the fact that they didn't care much for strangers who suddenly showed up without any warning.

Stormblaze however, clearly shared none of Antoine's compunctions. He strode with an easy confidence towards the wolves, who watched his approach with as much interest as he had viewed them with earlier.

"Hail, children of nature!" Stormblaze called out. Stopping before Lupe, he bent his right knee and bowed to her. This was actually a traditional formal unicorn greeting, but he figured that using it would not blow his cover, since most creatures had not seen such a greeting in ages and would therefore not recognize the significance of it. Standing again, he said, "Forgive our intrusion onto your lands, your ladyship. We are merely passing through."

Lupe smiled pleasantly, pleased by the stranger's show of respect, and elegantly inclined her head to him. She recognized him as a fellow warrior, and he her. "Well met, friend horse. This land belongs to all, so do not worry. No offense was taken." Her gaze traveled over to Antoine, who was trailing after Stormblaze. Quickly recognizing the familiar form of the coydog, she bowed her head towards him in acknowledgement before addressing him. "Greetings, Antoine. Are you not with the other Knothole Freedom Fighters?"

"_Bonjour_, _mademoiselle _Lupe. _Bonjour_, everybody. Um, no, I am not being with them this time," Antoine replied exceedingly politely, wishing he had Stormblaze's self-assurance. He prayed he didn't look as uncomfortable as he felt. He stopped five or so feet away from the pack and did not draw any closer. Lupe still looked as he remembered her: athletic and tall, but bearing the grace and majesty of a queen. Although she was in her thirties, she was still undeniably beautiful, yet at the same time she gave off the distinct impression that she was not the type of Mobian one wanted to trifle with.

"I decided I was needing some time apart from my _mon amies_," Antoine continued. "This is my friend, Edward Equinus." He indicated the disguised unicorn, who raised a fist and lightly thumped his chest in a greeting meant for the rest of the wolves.

Surprised by Antoine's explanation, Lupe arched an eyebrow, but when she spoke again, her voice did not betray her feelings. "I see. It is an honor to meet you, Edward. These are my packmates. Canus," She gestured to the well-muscled pale blue wolf, who offered a friendly smile, "Reynard," The brown wolf presented Antoine and Stormblaze with a cheerful grin, "Lyco and Leeto," The two pretty pink-furred females who looked to be twin sisters smiled and bowed, "Diablo," The ochre-colored wolf merely gave the two travelers a curt nod, his expression neutral, "And Luna and Seff." Lupe gestured to the two lanky youths who Antoine didn't recognize. They were studying the newcomers with great curiosity before suddenly remembering their manners and hastily offering a bow.

Luna, the smoky black female, was garbed in a tan buckskin one-piece dress, the fringed hem of which ended above her knees, a brown belt, and brown sandals. Her ash-gray headfur was tied back into a braid that trailed down to the small of her back. Seff was white, with a splash of faint cream fur marking his forehead and the bridge of his muzzle. He was clad in a dark red vest and brown sandals. Both looked to be only slightly older then Tails was, maybe around twelve or thirteen, and shared similar features with one another and with Lupe. Perhaps the youngsters were related to her in some way. Lupe had mentioned having two cubs before, but Antoine knew that they were younger then the preteens in front of him and Stormblaze were.

"I am honored to meet you all." Stormblaze said, dipping his head in the direction of each wolf as he or she was introduced.

"Perhaps the both of you would like to stay with us as our guests tonight?" Lupe offered.

"If her ladyship insists." Stormblaze answered with a grin. Stooping, he nudged Antoine in the ribs with an elbow. "Come on, surely we can stop for a bit."

Antoine turned the idea over in his mind. Since Lupe had extended the offer to them first, he supposed there wasn't any harm in staying the night. Besides, maybe he could use the downtime to think some more about what else he could do on the quest.

"Well, I suppose it could not be hurting …" Antoine quietly said.

The Wolf Pack escorted Antoine and Stormblaze to a spacious clearing surrounded by trees and other plant life in which they had set up camp. Seven tipis stood in the center of the glade, clustered together in a loose semi-circle. They served as the pack's individual sleeping quarters. On the way to the camp, as well as when they actually arrived there, Antoine couldn't help but notice how much the wolves greatly respected and liked Lupe. This was clear in not only how they addressed her, but listened to and carried out her commands. It didn't seem to be solely because she was their leader, even though she certainly carried herself with all the authority and confidence of an alpha. For Antoine, it was an extraordinary thing to witness. He wished he could get that kind of respect from others, especially his fellow Freedom Fighters. He wondered why he had never really noticed that about the Wolf Pack, but supposed he just hadn't been very observant when around them before.

Come to think of it, he didn't know Lupe very well, or any of the other wolves for that matter. Now that he was here, maybe he could take the opportunity to get to know them better. Perhaps doing so would help to alleviate his fear of them. Lupe might even be able to help him in learning how to be a better Freedom Fighter and warrior. He knew full well that she had no shortage of courage. But he felt uncertain about asking her for aid. After all, would a great chieftain like Lupe really want to be bothered with some lowly coward like himself? Although she was congenial to all the Knothole Freedom Fighters whenever they and the Wolf Pack crossed paths, from what he had observed Lupe seemed to converse with Princess Sally and Sonic the most.

He knew that Stormblaze would chide him for his hesitation. Speaking of his mentor, Antoine noticed that he seemed to have taken quite a liking to the wolves, including Lupe, which struck him as odd considering all the negative things Stormblaze had said about nobility before. Reynard had taken notice of the longbow Stormblaze carried and started asking him about it – what it was made from, how skilled was he at using it, and so on. Somehow, that turned into an informal archery contest between Stormblaze, Reynard, and Leeta. Presently, each was taking turns firing at a target that Reynard had set up about thirty meters away, a stuffed manikin that had been positioned up against the trunk of a tree. A small audience consisting of Antoine, Canus, Seff, Luna, and Lyco gathered around to watch.

Antoine, who was standing slightly behind Lyco, was rather surprised when he was approached by Seff and Luna. Even though neither wolf was not yet fully grown and therefore not as tall as the adult wolves were, Seff and Luna still had Antoine by a couple of inches, with Seff being the taller of the two. While wolves were naturally larger than coyotes and even many domestic dogs, the fact that Antoine had to look up at the younger canines was still disconcerting for him. For the longest time Antoine hoped that he would get a little taller than he was. Granted, while did he stand taller than the other Freedom Fighters at three foot nine (with the exception of Rotor, who was several inches taller at four foot two, and Dulcy, who was easily bigger than everybody else), by large canine standards he really wasn't very tall at all. He remembered grousing about his height to Rosie before, and the old beaver reassuring him that he was just a late bloomer and probably still had some growing to do.

Seff was the first to speak. "Hey Antoine, where are you from? We've never heard anyone who talked like you before."

Antoine wasn't sure where this question was leading. More often than not, his manner of speech and strong accent were a subject of derision among other Mobians, which he found strange, not to mention very annoying. It wasn't like he had specifically asked to have parents from southern Mercia. Bunnie had a heavy accent as well, but no one ever gave her any trouble about it. _'Then again, that might be because most Mobians know better than to get on Bunnie's bad side.'_ He thought. That, and the other Freedom Fighters like Princess Sally (who was Bunnie's closest female friend in the group) watched out for their _lapine_ comrade. While he knew it would be ridiculous of him if he allowed himself to become incensed by the taunts of a couple of cubs, Antoine really was tired of all the mockery often aimed his way for something as petty as the way he sounded when he spoke.

"Well… I was spending much time in southern Mercia as a pup. The Mobians in the northern regions, they are speaking English, while those in the south speak _Français_ like I am doing." He carefully answered.

However, he only received inquisitive looks from the siblings.

"Mercia? What's it like there?" Seff asked.

"We haven't traveled very much before. Well, until now." Luna put in. She seemed to be a little embarrassed by the disclosure.

Antoine glanced from Luna to Seff. Very few Mobians had shown much interest in listening to him discuss Mercia (or much of anything else for that matter), so he couldn't believe that these two actually wanted to. "The two of you are really being interested in hearing about Mercia?"

"Well, yeah," Seff gave a matter-of-fact shrug of his shoulders. "What, is it boring there or something?"

"What? _Non_, _non_! I have not been there since I was being seven, but Mercia is one of the most _belle_ places you will ever see. In the winter, the whole of the countryside is covered in the most purest, whitest snow. Everything is almost looking like a fairy tale. Then, when it is turning summer, you can go down to the coast and swim or sail in the ocean. Mercia is also having a great, noble history. There are being mighty kings and evil pirates and fearless knights…"

At the mention of kings, pirates, and knights, the cubs' eyes lit up. They were sincerely fascinated by what he had to say, so with a happy grin Antoine proceeded to relate a couple of yarns from Mercia's historic past. First he launched into the tale of a young queen in medieval Mercia who had been captured by pirates, but managed to free herself in time to assist her husband the king, who had come to rescue her with his band of knights, in battling the pirates and their vicious leader. Over the course of his storytelling, Antoine's tone steadily grew more and more passionate. It was clear that Mercia was a subject close to his heart. Even Canus, who had been closely watching the archery competition, became interested when he overheard Antoine telling another story about a cook who disguised himself as a knight in order to battle a sorceress who had enchanted everyone in his liege's castle.

As he interacted with Seff and Luna, Antoine came to decide that he rather liked the siblings. Over time he had come to notice that for whatever reasons, he just had a tendency to get along better with those who were younger than himself, like Tails, as opposed to Mobians closer to him in age. Seff proved to be quite talkative and guileless. He also expressed a desire to travel across Mobius and visit its' various countries (including Mercia). On the other hand, Luna appeared to be the somewhat more reserved and sophisticated of the two, in both her personality and how she carried herself. Overall though, both were good-natured.

From close by, a mixed chorus of cheers and groans erupted into the air, grabbing the four canines' attention and causing them to turn in the direction of the clamor. It would seem that the archery contest was over with. Antoine had become so engrossed in his storytelling that he had missed out on its conclusion.

Luna glanced around, her eyes coming to settle upon the tipis before she climbed to her feet with urgency as if though suddenly realizing something. "Seff, time for us to go do our daily chores," She told her brother before flashing Antoine a bright smile. "Those stories were pretty cool."

Seff groaned. Obviously he wasn't looking forward to work, but he too stood. "Yeah, they were. You know, you should stick around tonight for our _tita's_ stories – she knows lots of good ones too." He and Luna waved good-bye to Antoine before taking off.

"Everybody here appreciates a good story. Not only are they entertaining, especially on these long treks, but they're also a good way of teaching," Canus conversationally remarked in a soft voice that didn't fit his hulking frame. "I never knew any of that about this land… Mercia, you called it?" He glanced to Antoine for confirmation, and received a nod. "Sorry, world geography isn't something our pack really focuses on. Well, I better go check on the food. No one wants burnt soup for dinner." He chuckled.

His last words piqued Antoine's interest. "You cook, _monsieur_?"

"That I can," Canus replied. "Apparently I can make the best meals out of everybody here, so I was placed in charge of preparing the food."

As Canus was leaving, Stormblaze ambled on over to where Antoine was. The other wolves had dispersed as well, leaving their guests to themselves as they went about their daily business around camp.

"It's not as terrible being here as you believed it would be, eh?" Stormblaze asked as he and Antoine began walking side-by-side around the camp's perimeters. Neither had a particular destination in mind, but rather, just wanted to give their legs a stretch.

Antoine tried to put on a show of seeming indifferent, giving a prim sniff and turning his head away from the unicorn. "I suppose it is not."

Stormblaze chuckled softly. Antoine's animated conversation with Luna, Seff, and Canus had not escaped his attention. "You don't much care for admitting when you're wrong, do you?"

"Would you? Especially when it is seeming like you are always being wrong about something?" That statement had come out harsher then what Antoine had intended, and he winced at his tone. "Sorry."

Fortunately, Stormblaze could sense that he wasn't intentionally being belligerent, and did not take offense. "May I ask why you were so reluctant to see the Wolf Pack initially?" He inquired, dropping his voice so that he wouldn't be overheard. "Granted, that Diablo fellow isn't very friendly, but are the rest of them not as respectable as they appear?"

Their walk had taken the two away from the camp and among the birches, basswoods, and other trees of the forest. Startled by the presence of the intruders, a twerl scampered up to the highest branch of a maple tree, where the small furry creature then went on to loudly scold them with its raucous chattering. Slowing their pace, they stopped next to a tall white pine tree.

"They are being alright," Antoine quietly replied, then, as an afterthought, added, "Well, except Diablo. He is always mad for some reason or another. It is just that… I feel like I am not belonging here. It is a little overwhaling to be around the Wolf Pack. They are all good and brave fighters. I am very low-ranking among the Freedom Fighters and not being a warrior at all. It is not helping that they probably could eat me if they were really wanting to."

"One," Stormblaze held up an index finger, "The word you seek is 'overwhelming', not 'overwhaling'."

"Overwhelming, _oui_." Antoine nodded vigorously, trying to commit the word to memory.

"Secondly, who cares if you are not a warrior yet? Frankly, I detest all that 'high rank' and 'low rank' nonsense. Is that some sort of canine thing, or a social hierarchy issue? Probably both, I would wager. Mobians should feel free to mingle with whomever they please. You wish to be a warrior? Well, we are in the company of warriors." He pointed back towards the camp. Leeta and Lyco could be seen sitting together outside their respective tipis, busily polishing spear heads and other bladed weapons. "Perhaps you can learn more from them. Finally, I don't believe that they wish to eat you. I imagine all those buttons and these epaulettes would be quite difficult on their poor stomachs." Smiling, Stormblaze playfully prodded the gold ornamental piece that covered the right shoulder of Antoine's uniform, making the coydog laugh in spite of himself.

"Anyways, just continue behaving the same way you did earlier when you were speaking to Canus and the cubs. Stop worrying about impressing everyone and just relax."

"If you are saying so. I will try to be relaxing." Antoine replied, feeling somewhat better now. Stormblaze was right; he probably had absolutely nothing to worry about. The Wolf Pack had never actually done anything to him that might truly give him any cause for alarm. Besides, Stormblaze was here with him.

Remembering something, Antoine looked to Stormblaze. "Who was winning the contest between you, Leeta, and Reynard?"

Stormblaze gave Antoine a quick sidelong glance before carefully answering, "I'm sorry, the who and the what now?"

"You know, the archery contest." Antoine said, wondering why Stormblaze was being evasive all of a sudden.

"Ah yes, the, uh, contest," Stormblaze scratched the side of his neck. If Antoine didn't know any better, he would have guessed that he was embarrassed. "Well, one could say that we were all winners in our own way…"

"You were not winning?"

"Ah… no. Missed by a few shots." Stormblaze grimaced.

"Would some sword practice with _moi_ be helping you to feel better?" Antoine lightly offered.

Stormblaze grinned. "Well, I need to trounce someone to recover my lost pride, so I suppose you'll have to do."

* * *

When supper had finished cooking, Stormblaze and Antoine joined the Wolf Pack in the heart of their camp. Here, blankets had been laid out on the grass, and a fire was blazing. The main course was roasted meat, but luckily for Stormblaze there was also cornbread and bean-and-prairie turnip soup, which he gladly took.

Everyone settled down around the fire pit to eat. _'Canus isn't a bad cook'_, Antoine mused after trying some of the meat and then the cornbread.

"Is there something wrong back in Knothole, Antoine?" Reynard suddenly asked. Antoine, who was seated beside Stormblaze, glanced over in his direction, a slightly perplexed look on his face.

"What are you meaning?"

"Well, earlier you said that you needed some time apart from the other Knothole Freedom Fighters," Reynard casually pointed out. "So we were all wondering if there was something going on there." Among the Wolf Pack, Reynard was known to be the most curious member. This had the effect of making him exceptionally observant as well.

"Oh, er, everything there was being fine when I was leaving," Antoine quickly replied, feeling self-conscious. He focused his attention on his plate, feeling the gaze of all eight wolves on him now. _'Please do not ask about Sonic, please _do not_ ask about Sonic…'_

Nodding understandingly, Reynard gave him a disarming smile. "That's good to know. You know, we were pretty surprised to see you all the way out here in the Greenbacks. I mean, whenever we do run into you, you're usually with your team or in the Acorn Kingdom. I imagine you're not here on vacation."

"Reynard, that is easily one of the least subtle methods of questioning someone I've ever seen you use. You're nosier then an old otterwife. " Lyco flatly remarked from where she sat next to Reynard, looking at him with something like disapproval in her eyes.

"Sorry. Guess I'm just off my game," Reynard grinned innocently at Lyco before looking back at the coydog. "Anyways Antoine, you don't have to answer this nosy old wolf if you don't want to."

Antoine didn't really want to go into exactly why he had left Knothole, fearing mockery, but felt he really had no other option but to now that that particular door had been opened. If he remained secretive about his quest, then that would probably make the Wolf Pack even more curious to learn what he was up to, especially Reynard. So he reluctantly admitted, "Well… the reason I am out here is because I am being on a quest to prove myself."

Antoine braced himself, awaiting the ridicule that he just knew would be heaped upon him. Would Stormblaze stand up for him when the pack started laughing at him?

But no laughter came. Most of the wolves were staring at him with surprise, even Diablo. Lupe, as well as Luna and Seff, seemed to be more intrigued by his statement. Needless to say, it wasn't the reaction Antoine had been expecting, though he was quite relieved that he wasn't getting teased.

"I think that's a good idea," Leeta finally said, giving Antoine an encouraging smile. "It actually sounds like what they're going to be doing." She indicated Luna and Seff.

Seff nodded. "Tomorrow morning we're going on our Spirit Quest."

"You are having quests too?" Antoine asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

"Of course we do," Diablo rumbled, scowling at Antoine from across the fire pit where he sat. "Or did you think we were too savage and uncivilized to come up with such concepts?"

His accusation caused Antoine to nervously laugh and raise his hands defensively. "What? Oh no no no! T-that is not what I was meaning at all! I just thought that only k-k-knights were having quests!"

"_Diablo_." Lupe sent her packmate a pointed stare. Catching her warning, Diablo quickly returned to his meal, though there was still a slight frown on his face as he ate.

"I think that what Diablo is trying to say," Canus calmly began, "is that we do indeed have quests, only we formally call them 'spirit quests'. See, when a young wolf reaches a certain age, they're sent on a journey across the Greenbacks to the Cave of Shadows. They have to spend an entire night there inside the cave. They get no assistance from their packmates, must abstain from food and water for the entire day, and aren't allowed to take anything with them but a spear for protection."

'_So that is what the Wolf Pack is doing way out here,'_ Antoine thought. He supposed that journeying across the wilderness with nothing but a spear was hard, but staying for one night inside a cave? How hard could that really be? Plus, shouldn't a proper quest take a little longer than that? This time however, he wisely chose to keep his comments to himself lest he offend Diablo or the others, only nodding at Canus' explanation instead.

Lupe must have seen the look of incredulity that had passed over his face though, for she remarked, "The Cave of Shadows isn't just any ordinary cave. Stories have been handed down over many generations of the strange visions and sights that can come to those who step inside it. Even some of the bravest wolves have been driven mad by what they've seen there."

Listening to her, Antoine couldn't help but cast an uneasy glance over his shoulder. With the onset of evening, the landscape around them suddenly didn't look so majestic and pastoral anymore.

Seff just scowled. "I'm not scared. I'll stay a hundred nights in that old cave if I have to!" He defiantly declared.

The other wolves chuckled at his youthful bravado, even Lupe. "It doesn't happen to every single wolf who goes inside," she soothingly said. "What one is actually supposed to see are visions of their own future. No one can explain why some wolves see different things than their peers do."

"It sounds like a most curious phenomenon." Stormblaze said, swallowing his latest bit of cornbread. So far he had consumed at least four pieces.

"Truthfully Antoine, I never thought you would ever be interested in this sort of thing, but I think it's good that you are," Reynard said. "You might end up discovering some things about yourself on your journey. I remember my own Spirit Quest like it was yesterday…" He stared distantly off into space, reminiscing about his experience. "Remember, Diablo, Canus?"

Diablo snorted. "Yeah. I remember having to pull your tail out of trouble when you decided not to listen to Canus and me - as usual - and got too close to that hot spring."

"Humph," Reynard crossed his arms and stuck his nose up in the air, pretending to be offended. "I don't know what you're talking about. I do seem to remember you making a fool out of yourself when you tried crossing that river though. You looked like the world's biggest drowned rat!" He laughed.

"I seem to remember the two of you fighting a lot. That felt like the _longest_ trip I've ever been on." Canus sighed. His comment earned laughter from everyone except an irritated-looking Diablo.

* * *

After dinner (during which Canus and Lupe encouraged Stormblaze and Antoine to eat as much as they wished), everybody had stayed up late into the night, sharing stories and singing songs. Seff had been right – Lupe was a skilled storyteller. A number of the stories she told were personal anecdotes, and she would also insert clever humor into the tales she wove. After some prodding from Canus and the others, even Antoine had eventually joined in on the fun and shared a story or two.

Antoine discovered that Luna and Seff were indeed Lupe's niece and nephew. According to them, three months ago their parents had sent them to join the Wolf Pack so that they could be trained in the art of war and assist the pack in battling Robotnik.

Lupe ended up sending Luna and Seff off to bed before everyone else, citing that they were going to need their rest for tomorrow. Eventually, everyone else had turned in as well. Only Antoine was still awake, wandering aimlessly through the now-quiet camp.

At the moment, he seemed to be one of only two Mobians not in a tipi (or tent in his case). Stormblaze was the other. He was sleeping outside, having sworn off sleeping in the tent after trying to several days ago, complaining of how uncomfortable it actually turned out to be. Antoine had tried to fall asleep, but had had no luck in doing so, only seeming to be able to toss and turn in his sleeping bag instead. He had shined his boots three times already, but even that hadn't done the trick. He didn't want to bother Stormblaze with his problems, not when the unicorn was dozing peacefully, so he had decided to get up and go for a walk instead. There was just simply too much on his mind for him to relax now.

While Antoine was very grateful that Stormblaze was training him now, he just wished there was a way to make the training progress faster than it was. To him, the sword lessons became rather repetitive at times, and Stormblaze would even have him perform training exercises that they wouldn't make first-year students at La Vallette do. His mentor had explained this as his wanting Antoine to re-familiarize himself with the basics. But Antoine still felt like he had not improved his fighting skills much, and he certainly wasn't any braver then he had been before. With the way he presently was, he would be of no help to Stormblaze. He wondered how long it had taken Lupe and the other adult wolves to learn their combat skills and if the process was as difficult for them as it was turning out to be for him. He wouldn't have been surprised if they had succeeded in breezing through their lessons like they were nothing.

Speaking of the Wolf Pack, the more Antoine went over the idea in his mind, the more interesting Luna and Seff's Spirit Quest sounded. He would've really liked to have seen what it was like for himself. He was also trying to muster up the courage to approach Lupe about his problems. He had thought of several different ways to strike up a conversation with her, but the more he considered them, the more absurd and banal they sounded to him.

"Antoine?"

Startled at suddenly hearing a voice in the darkness call out his name, Antoine let out an undignified yelp and tried to run in the opposite direction, only to trip and land roughly on the ground when he accidentally stepped in a small hole. Sitting up with a groan, he saw that it was just Lupe, looking down at him with curiosity.

"_Veuillez accepter mes excuses_!" Antoine gasped, his wide eyes staring up at the chieftain. Remembering his manners, he hastily averted his gaze and lowered his head. Among canines, directly staring at someone was considered incredibly rude, and doing so to such a high-ranking individual like Lupe was not only downright disrespectful, but a challenge to their dominance as well. Oh, but he must have looked so foolish just then! Heat crept up the back of his neck, and he pinned his ears back. "Please be excusing my clumsiness, _mademoiselle_." He hurriedly apologized.

Lupe calmly waved him off. "It is my fault for startling you," She extended a hand towards him. When he hesitated, she offered a comforting smile. "It is perfectly fine. I will not bite you."

Still feeling somewhat awkward, Antoine finally accepted her outstretched hand. As Lupe helped him up, her piercing blue eyes studied him closely. "What are you still doing up? The hour is late."

"I… um, could not sleep." He sheepishly admitted, still not able to look directly at her.

Eyes narrowing ever so slightly, Lupe tilted her head a bit as she continued to consider the timid Freedom Fighter. "Is your heart troubled?"

To Antoine's surprise, she actually seemed genuinely concerned about him. Before, whenever the Knothole Freedom Fighters and the Wolf Pack would come together for a mission or something, some of the time he didn't think Lupe even took any notice of his presence. Nervously, he ran a hand through his hair. "Er, actually… I-I am wondering how can I be a strong warrior, like you are being?"

The wolf's expression turned thoughtful at having such a query posed to her. "That is a good question." As she started to turn away, she gestured for him to follow her. "Come, let us walk."

As Lupe walked off, she kept her pace leisurely so that Antoine could more easily keep up with her longer stride. "I draw my strength from those I love, and my faith in the Great Wolf," she explained to the coydog by her side. "You must do the same. Find strength in what you hold dear. When you have faith in someone or something, then you'll discover that you can do anything when you put your mind to it. This might come as a surprise to you, but there are times when even I feel scared."

Antoine stared disbelievingly at Lupe. "How is that being? You are not seeming to be scared of anything! I… I am not that brave." He looked down at his boots, ashamed by his admission.

Lupe chuckled. It was a soft, gentle laugh, not a condescending or scornful one. "Royalty or commoner, Mobian or Overlander, everyone has something that they're frightened of, Antoine. I fear for the safety of my family and my other loved ones, but when I think of them and what I must do to protect them, I no longer feel afraid. Fear is just an emotion. It isn't something inherently bad. It is even useful, because it makes you aware of danger. I imagine creatures would constantly be doing very stupid things if they lacked fear. Fear only becomes bad when you allow it to control you."

'_Fear controls my life, that's for certain'_, Antoine thought. He believed he may have understood what Lupe meant. "So… to become stronger and braver, I must be thinking of the Mobians I love and the things I believe in?" He tentatively asked.

She nodded. "It sounds like you're getting it. These loved ones could be your friends, like Edward, or family members -"

At the mention of 'family members', Antoine flinched as though he had been physically struck. While the pain of losing his family had gradually subsided to a dull ache over the years, sometimes it would return in full force at the most random times. Lupe, who still had a husband and cubs (though she had chosen to willingly part ways with them for the time being), was fortunate to not know what that pain was like.

Antoine's reaction didn't escape Lupe's notice. "I am sorry about your family," She said, her voice sympathetic. "Even if they are no longer with you, you can still fight in honor of their memories."

As Antoine had never spoken about his parents to any of the wolves before, Lupe hadn't been aware of his family's circumstances, and so he was more than willing to forgive her. Lupe's suggestion was brilliant. He would fight in honor of his mother, his father, and the rest of his family members, wherever they were, and make them proud of him! "Thank you, _mademoiselle_. My father is – or was, I am not sure which - being a great general and one of the finest fighters in the king's whole army. I have looked up to him since I was able to be walking. That is why I wear his uniform." He gestured to the ornamental outfit.

"It is good to have someone to admire, but I believe that we all must walk our own paths someday. That is what twenty years of leading the Wolf Pack has taught me. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your father, but if you focus so much on trying to be him, then will you still really be yourself? Who will your pups look up to?"

Antoine was silent as he absorbed her words. What Lupe was telling him was utterly astonishing. He had never considered any of that before.

"Is part of the reason why you left Knothole because you seek to improve yourself?" She suddenly asked, glancing over at him.

Antoine gave a nod of affirmation. "_Oui_, _mademoiselle_. I am wanting to be a better Freedom Fighter so I can prove myself to everyone, especially the princess."

"So you still have feelings for Sally?"

A little embarrassed by the forwardness of the question, Antoine felt his cheeks burn, but nodded anyways. "_Oui_. But she is liking Sonic better than she does _moi_." He let out a glum sigh as he peered up at the half moon that shone down on them.

"Well, they spend a lot of time together, do they not? I believe they value the strength of their friendship."

Lupe had a point. When Antoine and Sally were small, they had actually been good friends, owing to the close ties between their respective families. But then Antoine had to leave the kingdom for Delmont, Mercia, which lay far across the White Sea, when he was eight years old, and remained there for two years. When he returned to the Kingdom of Acorn at the age of ten, he had felt like he was in an alien land surrounded by foreigners, none of whom could speak the language that he had grown extremely used to both hearing and using and who had a completely different culture from that of Mercia. Even Sally had seemed like a total stranger to him for awhile. It didn't help matters any that both youths had basically been uprooted from their original home at Castle Acorn. Ever since that time, things hadn't really been the same between him and Sally. During his absence, she and the other future Freedom Fighters had bonded together tightly, and he had completely missed out on that.

"But how am I to be completing with that?" Antoine asked, unable to mask the frustration in his voice.

"Completing?…" Confusion fell across Lupe's face before being replaced by understanding. "Oh. _Competing_." Antoine nodded. "Well, don't try to compete with Sonic. Be yourself."

"But… but what if Sally is not liking myself – er, the real me?"

"Even if she isn't romantically interested in you, I believe she would prefer to see more of the real you. We females appreciate sincerity. Trust me, Antoine. You could say that I'm an expert on the subject." She smiled good-humoredly, and Antoine couldn't help but smile as well at the joke.

"Well, I believe this quest of yours' is a very noble cause. I wish you luck." Lupe said, setting her hand on his shoulder.

Antoine regarded Lupe with a mixture of joy and awe. She actually supported his idea! He was surprised she was so willing to listen to him talk about his problems and give him advice. If he had known things were going to turn out this well, then he would have spoken to her earlier. He found himself admiring Lupe even more than before, although prior to their discussion, his admiration had been mingled with fear. But since having come to see that Lupe really was a perfectly nice Mobian, that fear was gone. She wasn't just nice either - in his book, she was about as incredible as Stormblaze was.

"There is being one more thing I would like to ask of you, _mademoiselle_." Antoine began. Stopping, he wrung his hands, unsure of how she might react to his request, but Lupe merely nodded for him to go on. "… May I be going with Seff and Luna when they are leaving for their Spirit Quest? I know I am hardly being a pup, but I am thinking that going with them could be useful for _mon_ own quest."

Lupe solemnly shook her head. "I apologize, but I cannot allow that. You are part of Sally's pack, and if something were to happen to you, then not only would I be very upset, but I would also feel responsible for allowing you to leave in the first place. Spirit Quests can be very dangerous, even for the toughest wolf."

"Oh." Antoine's ears and tail wilted before he caught himself and "manned up", as Sonic would say. He didn't want to look like some sulking pup in front of Lupe. Trying his best to sound nonchalant, he replied, "Well, I am understanding this."

"Good. I have found our conversation most interesting, but you should probably go and get some rest now," Lupe said, her voice taking on just a hint of motherly command. "If you like, you can stay on with us until Seff and Luna have returned so they can tell you about their experience."

"_Merci_, _mademoiselle_. I am thinking I will do just that." Bowing to Lupe, Antoine obediently scampered back to where his tent was.

**Author's notes: **I'm basing my characterization of the Wolf Pack off my memories of them from the comics and online research on each pack member, so I hope they're all in character (though Lyco and Leeta come across as being rather flat in canon, which is a shame). If they're not in character though, then you know the drill.

Translations:

French:

Belle: Beautiful.

Désolé: Sorry.

Femme: Woman.

Je suis desole: I am sorry.

Mademoiselle: Madame.

Petite amie: Girlfriend.

Veuillez accepter mes excuses: "I am so sorry"; very formal.

Spanish:

Tita: Aunt.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's notes:** Hey all! My apologies for taking so long to update. This chapter took more time than the others to complete, partly due to my being busy with school and it just being a difficult chapter to tackle. Compared to most of the other ones, it feels rougher, and I'm still not very happy with much of it. Here's hoping chapter seven won't give me so much grief.

**Chapter Six**

Antoine trailed behind at a safe distance as Diablo led Seff and Luna across the wide valley meadow, using the cover of the trees to conceal himself and being careful to stay upwind so that the wolves wouldn't be able to scent him.

Antoine had worried that he wouldn't awaken early enough to catch Luna and Seff in time, but luck was on his side for a change and he did manage to catch them just as they were starting out. He still couldn't believe that he was actually defying Lupe like this after telling her that he understood her orders not to go along on the Spirit Quest. Then again, he had recently done a number of things that he previously hadn't thought himself capable of doing.

While the advice Lupe had given him the other night was helpful, Antoine was still convinced that accompanying Luna and Seff would be an excellent way to make himself a stronger Mobian. He imagined the Wolf Pack would be greatly surprised to see that he could be just as tough as any one of them. But he tried not to imagine what Lupe's reaction might be once she discovered his disappearance. He also didn't think Stormblaze would be too pleased at being left out of the loop. He just figured that if he found some way to make it up to the two of them once he came back, then hopefully they wouldn't be too upset with him.

Antoine remembered Lupe saying that the Cave of Shadows could reveal the futures of those who ventured inside it, but there was also a possibility of going mad from the visions as well. He didn't believe Lupe would lie about something like that just to frighten him – she seemed to be above such childish games. He couldn't understand how she and the other wolves could be so blasé about sending two of their own, both of whom weren't even teenagers yet, into such a potentially dangerous situation. At least he was seventeen and old enough to better deal with something so harsh and treacherous.

Well, he _hoped_ he was anyways.

After what seemed like ages to him, the trio finally stopped. As the coydog carefully peeked out from between the branches of the pine tree he was hiding behind right then, he saw Diablo standing there with the siblings, and heard him brusquely wish them both luck.

Watching Diablo finally go back the way they had come, Antoine found himself feeling relieved. He would have hated to have been caught by him. He couldn't believe that he had thought the other wolves were threatening before getting to know them better. The dark wolf seemed to be in a constant foul mood, and still really hadn't welcomed Antoine or Stormblaze's presences like the rest of the pack had. To be frank, Diablo frightened him.

Once he could no longer see Diablo and was absolutely certain he was gone, Antoine broke cover and approached the youngsters, who had resumed walking after Diablo left.

Before Antoine could call out to them, Seff stopped and turned to look in his direction, Luna following suit. No doubt they had heard the sounds of his approaching footsteps. Both were armed with simple wooden spears, just as Camus had said they would be. Antoine was glad that they hadn't chosen to hurl them at him instead of waiting for him to show himself.

Upon seeing the coydog, Seff's originally surprised face broke into a broad smile. "Hey Antoine! Come to join us?"

On the other hand, Luna appeared to be more noticeably concerned by this latest development. "Did you ask Lupe if you could do this?" She inquired, raising one slim eyebrow and scrutinizing Antoine as he drew closer to them. She had switched her dress out for a more practical teal-colored one-piece outfit like what her aunt and Leeta and Lyco wore.

"Not exactly…" Antoine started to cough rather awkwardly – startlingly enough, there was a lot of Lupe in Luna's steady golden gaze - but stopped and replied more smoothly, "But do not worry. When we are returning, I promise I will be telling them that it was _mon_ own idea."

Luna looked back to Seff, obviously still unsure. For his part, the white wolf turned his bright blue eyes skyward in thought. "Well… I don't really see anything wrong with letting him come with us," He slowly began. "He did say that he'd be taking the blame for it. And well, Antoine's never had a spirit quest of his own before. So this could be his big chance." He cheerfully smiled once more.

"I guess…" Luna said, not sounding very convinced.

Antoine hoped that she would eventually come around to his presence. Deciding that a change of topics would be good, he asked, "Exactly what is being the purpose of the Spirit Quest? I am remembering _mademoiselle_ Lupe saying that the cave may be showing you your future, but is that all? Will the two of you be getting recognition of some kind from your pack?" He had wanted to ask that during last night's dinner, but Diablo accusing of him believing the wolves to be barbarians had made him too nervous to do so. Antoine could admit that when he and the rest of the Freedom Fighters had first stumbled upon the Wolf Pack, they had put him in mind of grainy old black-and-white photographs and drawings of natives from wild exotic lands he had seen before in books and newspapers. But that viewpoint had been quickly dispelled when he saw how intelligent Lupe was, and the rest of the pack certainly couldn't be called backwards brutes either.

"You could say that. What'll happen is that we'll officially be considered adults when we return. That means we can do stuff like go into battle, speak at Pack councils, that kind of thing." Luna explained.

"Oh. That is being… good." Antoine courteously replied. He did not wish to be rude, so he didn't say much else. Personally though, he couldn't picture twelve-year olds being very effective in a real battle. Even the Knothole Freedom Fighters hadn't been allowed out on serious missions without adult supervision until they had reached the age of fourteen (though that hadn't stopped Sonic from sneaking out to bedevil SWATBots when he was twelve).

"Yep! Once this is all over with, we'll finally be treated like adults! And it's about high time too!" Seff enthusiastically crowed. "No more curfews and no more being left out all of the fun stuff, like war parties!"

"We'll also be given bands like the adults wear." Luna put in.

Until now, Antoine had failed to notice that Luna and Seff lacked the heavy gold bands that adorned the wrists of their packmates. "Are the bands being special?"

"Oh, they just let other wolves know that you've proven yourself in battle," Luna said. "So they can mess with you at their own risk. The more decorated your band is, the higher your rank is in the pack. That's why our _tita's_ are so fancy-looking." A perceptible note of pride crept into her voice at that point.

For the first few hours, their journey was unremarkable. The trail gradually moved upwards, taking them through rolling meadows and valleys liberally speckled with swathes of lush, verdant timber. According to Seff and Luna, the route that would take them to the Cave of Shadows lay through the high country. A distinctive boulder that was reminiscent of a crescent moon, which had been given the very original name of 'Crescent Rock', was supposed to mark the location of the cave.

As the day wore on, the sun climbed higher and higher into the sky, a blazing sphere of intense white-gold. Antoine felt himself growing uncomfortably warm in his uniform, and tugged at his collar. The material that the outfit was made from didn't allow very much air to get through to his body. Luna and Seff looked like they were faring much better.

By midday, the question of whether or not they should stop and take a rest break when they already had taken three of them arose, with Seff arguing for taking a recess and Luna taking the opposite stance.

"Come on, Luna! Do you really think we can last the whole day without stopping again?"

"We can stop when we get to Crescent Rock! I don't want to spend the rest of day wandering around trying to get to the cave!"

Originally Antoine had merely listened to the debate in silence, but as it grew more heated, he decided he had better intervene. He was getting tired of listening to them go back and forth, and honestly he himself was looking forward to resting. The warmth of the sun had felt nice in the slight chill that had accompanied the daybreak, but now it felt like it was practically sapping his energy.

Seff and Luna seemed to have been struck by the same idea, because before Antoine could interject, they turned to him at the same time. "Antoine!"

Pointing at Seff, Luna demanded, "Tell him my idea is better!"

"Tell Lu she's not only acting like a slave driver, but she's also nuts!"

Antoine loudly cleared his throat for order. As much as he liked the young wolves, it didn't seem to him as though they were ready to take on the mantles of adulthood just yet. "Actually, I am thinking that taking a break might be wise. Since we cannot be having any food or water, it would not be healthy for us to keep pushing ourselves in this heat."

Seff flashed Luna a superior grin, earning a dirty look from her in turn.

"Do not worry. We will not be lingering here long." Antoine quickly said, not wanting Luna to feel slighted because he agreed with Seff and not her. "There should still be some daylight left when we make it to the cave."

To his relief, Seff and Luna agreed. A cottonwood tree not far from where the three were made for an ideal place to rest. They parked themselves in the cool shade provided by the tall tree's great spreading branches, Seff and Luna plunging their spears into the earth before sitting down.

"I am being parched!" Antoine exclaimed, smacking his lips in an attempt to alleviate the dryness in his mouth.

"Try sucking on a stone." Seff suggested as he leaned back against the bole of the tree."It's an old trick that takes the edge off thirst. Rey taught me that."

Antoine reflexively cringed. Pick up a dirty stone from the ground and put it in his mouth? He preferred to stay thirsty.

Seeing Antoine's grimace, Seff curiously regarded him. "What exactly do you do with the Knothole Freedom Fighters, Antoine?" He questioned a moment later. Luna glanced Antoine's way, also interested in hearing what he had to say.

"Do? Well, uh, I am being the personal bodyguard of Princess Sally." Antoine didn't go into it any further than that, and hoped the cubs wouldn't press him to tell them more. He wasn't looking forward to talking about the unglamorous truth of what his self-appointed position among the Freedom Fighters was really like.

Seff brightened. "You're a bodyguard? That's really cool! I'm planning on becoming one of the greatest braves our pack's ever seen, you know." He puffed his chest out, beaming with pride.

"For that to happen, you're going to have to train your tail off." Luna giggled.

"Laugh it up, Miss Know-It-All." Seff snapped, an irritated growl accenting his words. "What are you gonna become, Pack Busybody?"

Sensing another argument on the horizon, Antoine quickly stepped in. "Everyone must be training to learn how to do anything right. No one is able to be doing anything perfectly instantly." Luna's teasing had managed to trigger a _bête noire_ of his: seeing someone being doubted by others. Seff shouldn't be discouraged from pursuing his dreams.

"You both can be doing whatever you are wanting to, just as long as you are working hard and believe in yourselves." Antoine added. He found himself slightly surprised at his own words. He had heard the timeless adage of believing in one's self countless times before, but still wasn't entirely sure if it was true. But just because he might have been a little cynical didn't mean he wanted to crush Seff and Luna's aspirations. For the longest time Antoine had largely given up on his own dreams until Stormblaze had entered the picture and began reigniting his hopes.

Seff and Luna fell into a contemplative silence. Antoine took this as a good sign. Perhaps a bit of Stormblaze's knack for dispensing wisdom and encouragement had managed to rub off on him somehow.

"Aunt Lupe tells us the same thing. I just wish that training didn't have to take so long." Seff finally said, sighing as he closed his eyes.

"Me too." Luna agreed.

Antoine nodded knowingly. That he had no advice on, seeing as how he felt the same way on the matter. "It is seeming that way, no? What do your packmates say when you are telling them that?"

"Same thing they tell us every time." Sitting up, Seff proceeded to launch into an impersonation of his elders, lowering his voice and adopting the gravest facial expression Antoine had ever seen. "'Seff, you need to learn patience. Seff, you can't just rush these kinds of things.'"

Luna rolled her eyes at Seff's capering, but giggled quietly in spite of herself. When it was decided that enough time had been spent resting, they moved on. Antoine was starting to think that this whole Spirit Quest thing wasn't really that bad after all. Well, aside from the heat, the thirst, and the hunger, none of which were exactly pleasant.

Soon he found himself eating those words.

Antoine had been trudging along, following Seff and Luna and not paying much attention to where they were going. Seeing his young companions suddenly freeze in their tracks, he glanced between them, wondering why they had stopped, until he followed where they were looking. Before them, a gorge stretched out across the earth like a long slash. The only thing connecting the side that they were on to the other was a long and rather ancient-looking wooden bridge.

Approaching the cliff and stopping two feet away from the edge, Luna carefully bent down in order to get a better glimpse of the canyon that lay below. At the very bottom, a winding ribbon of silvery-blue – a river - could be seen snaking its way through the rocks and earth.

"If I had to guess, I would say that that drop has to be at least forty feet." Luna remarked as she stood, her voice slightly tremulous thanks to her nerves.

Antoine was close to having a panic attack on the spot. "Are they serious? How is anyone supposed to be crossing this?"

Walking up to the bridge, Seff placed his foot on the first plank, then experimentally rapped on one of the posts securing the bridge to the ground. "Seems sturdy enough. And all the boards are still in place. Look, Mobians had to have crossed this thing a whole bunch of times before, right? So how bad can it be?" In spite of his attempt to bolster their confidence, Antoine and Luna could still sense Seff's uneasiness, though to his credit his apprehension wasn't really visible when one looked at him.

Seff turned his gaze directly onto Antoine. "You can cross first, Antoine." He said, sounding unusually serious compared to the Seff that Antoine had come to know.

Antoine visibly winced when he heard his name said. He laughed, a nervous, forced sound. "Y-you may have the honor of going first. You are being Lupe's nephew, after all. I should be following you."

Glancing away from Antoine, Seff considered the bridge again. "Well, let's face it - you _are_ the shortest person here."

Antoine sighed, realizing that he had lost the argument. What Seff was saying made sense. Not only were his words logical, but Antoine didn't wish to look like a coward in front of him and Luna either. Craven he might be, but the siblings seemed to be generally unaware of his notorious reputation, and he wanted to keep it that way. Suddenly finding himself overtaken by a sense of shame for trying to get a twelve-year old to risk his life, he shut his eyes. There were no other older Mobians here to set a good example for them, so it fell to him to do so.

Taking several deep calming breaths like Stormblaze had instructed him to do whenever he ever felt anxious, Antoine answered, "Very well. I… I will be seeing the two of you on the other side."

Solemnly, he marched straight up to the bridge, trying to push past the uncomfortable sensation of his heart fluttering in his chest like a deranged butterfly. Steeling himself, he very gently and very slowly set his left foot on the first plank. It held.

As Luna and Seff watched with bated breath, Antoine followed up with the other foot, and then took three more steps. Encouraged by the fact that the boards were supporting his weight, he continued on across at a slightly (but only slightly; he didn't dare take a risk by running across) quicker pace. When he stepped on one of the planks that was near the middle of the structure, it produced a loud creak. Immediately, Antoine stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide and fearful. Was this it for him? Was the bridge going to collapse with him on it? He didn't want to die!

Realizing that a minute had passed by and he was still standing there panicking when nothing had happened, he swallowed hard and resumed his original course. The sooner he was off this deathtrap, the better.

Antoine was relieved beyond words when he stepped off the bridge and back onto solid ground. He leaned over, clutching his chest and panting heavily. He actually considered kissing the ground, but then remembered that his lips would be touching dirt that other creatures had probably stepped all over and done the Source knew what else on. A grateful prayer of thanks would suffice for him. Hearing Luna and Seff's enthusiastic cheers and whoops from the other side of the canyon, he managed a weak smile in their direction.

"Guess it's my turn then." said Luna when she and Seff finished celebrating Antoine's successful passage. Delicately, she took her first steps out onto the bridge. She too managed to traverse it without any trouble.

Now that he was the only one who had yet to cross, Seff began his trek to join Luna and Antoine, moving briskly and keeping his focus straight ahead. The boards creaked as though protesting the heavier weight on them, but held firm. As he advanced farther across the bridge, Seff's confidence increased, and he cheerfully shouted, "See guys? What'd I tell you? Nothing to it!"

With Luna at his side, Antoine watched Seff's progress hopefully. Maybe they had been overreacting and the bridge really was safe.

When Seff had only three more boards to put between him and the rest of the bridge, a resounding crack echoed through the air. A board had just snapped in two beneath his foot. Startled by the noise and believing that he was about to fall, Seff's first instinct was to jump back, but when he did, two of the planks behind him broke as well. Antoine and Luna feared that Seff was about to plummet to his death, but he managed to reach out in time and grab onto the portion of the bridge that was still intact. To their horror, Seff was now dangling precariously from the edge, with nothing between him and the canyon floor below. His spear was gone, having been lost in his scramble to save himself.

Luna was ready to rush over to aid her brother, but reacting quickly, Antoine grabbed her by the arm, not wanting her to do anything that might either further endanger Seff or herself. "Wait! You cannot be going out there!"

Luna turned to stare at him. The hard look in her eyes and her expression were clearly warning him to relinquish his grip, or else. In spite of this however, Antoine refused to let go. "If you are going out there, then your weight and his weight together may make the bridge collapse!" He pointed out.

Luna looked as if she was ready to protest, but as what Antoine just said sank in, she realized that he had a point. Luna relented, although she was understandably still upset. "So what are we going to do then?" She demanded.

"Well…" Antoine began, releasing his hold on Luna's arm. "If I am being light enough to walk on the bridge without trouble, then perhaps I can be doing it again."

"Even if you can walk out on that thing, how are you supposed to pull him up? Seff's got at least a couple of pounds on you!"

Antoine cast his gaze around their surroundings. _"What I wouldn't give for some rope or sturdy vines right about now."_ He desperately thought. But since neither of those things was available, what could they use as a substitute? Antoine's eyes landed on Luna's spear, which lay discarded on the ground nearby, and lingered on the weapon. _'It's worth a shot'_, he supposed, going over to pick it up. "You know how it is being said that in scary times Mobians will suddenly find themselves with more strength then they are normally having? Well, maybe that is what will happen here."

Luna arched a dubious eyebrow at his rambling response, but Antoine was too distracted to pay it any attention.

"Please be staying right here!" Antoine instructed Luna. The command appeared to aggravate her, but the girl did as she was told.

Spear in hand, Antoine began to cautiously inch his way out onto the remaining piece of bridge. There the wind seemed to pick up suddenly, whistling harshly in his ears. _'This is crazy…'_ He thought, forcing himself to keep his eyes mainly on Seff. But he needed to look down in order to make sure he wasn't too close to the edge, and he hated that. Every time he looked down, it was hard not to notice just how high they were from the ground.

"Do not be moving even a hair!" Antoine instructed Seff, who was staring back at him with wide and fearful eyes.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Seff yelled back.

Antoine didn't laugh at the wolf's attempt at humor or even acknowledge it, instead frowning slightly as he considered their situation. Now that he was standing here, he really wasn't certain if he could actually summon the strength to pull Seff to safety. The image of himself trying to hoist Seff up, only to fail and the both of them plunging into the canyon flashed through his mind. As soon as the macabre thought crossed his mind, Antoine vigorously shook his head.

Feeling himself suddenly be gripped around the waist, Antoine turned his head and found himself looking back at Luna. Very sensibly, she didn't try to step out on the bridge with him. The distance between them wasn't too great however, so she was able to reach out and take hold of Antoine around his midsection.

"Need some help?" Luna rather wryly asked. Not waiting for Antoine to answer, she said went on. "We'll pull him up on the count of three."

Nodding his concurrence with her idea, Antoine then lowered the spear so that it was within Seff's reach. It hadn't taken Seff long to figure out what Antoine had in mind when he saw him standing up there with the spear, but the sheer riskiness of the coydog's plan made him reluctant to go along with it. The bridge was the only thing keeping him from falling to his death, and he wasn't very eager to let go of it. Not only that, but if his grip on the spear slipped, or Antoine lost his balance, then the results weren't going to be pretty.

Noticing Seff's hesitation, Antoine called down to him. "It is being alright. Just take the spear, and we will pull you to safety!"

Gritting his teeth as he braced himself, Seff reached for the spear and firmly grasped it. Immediately Antoine pulled back with every ounce of strength he could muster, aided by Luna as well as Seff, who used his free hand to push himself up.

Their combined strength was enough to pull Seff back up on the bridge. Once he was, Seff didn't waste any time in getting himself on solid ground, where he sat down heavily, still maintaining his death-grip on the spear. Luna had let go of Antoine and came over to Seff to make sure he wasn't hurt. Relieved that they had come through this near- catastrophe in one piece, Antoine had a seat on the ground near the siblings.

For awhile, no one said anything. When she was satisfied that Seff was alright, Luna plopped down on the grass beside him. The three stayed where they were, trying to get their heart rates back under control. When Seff finally dared to breathe again, he raised his head to look over at Antoine. "Thanks."

Too exhausted to reply, Antoine merely waved a hand at Seff, acknowledging his gratitude. This incident reminded him of a similar one that had happened in his past. He and Princess Sally were traveling to an old prison that she believed her father had sent her a message from, and needed to cross a bridge to get there. When it started to collapse under their feet, he had managed to grab his princess and sprint the rest of the way across. Antoine decided that he was going to swear off bridges for a while.

* * *

When Stormblaze awoke to discover Antoine missing, he had hunted all around the camp for him, asking the wolves if they had seen him while he did. In every single instance, he was told no. When he had asked Lupe, she immediately grew concerned. She swiftly organized a search party, and together, Stormblaze and the Wolf Pack set out in pairs (with the exception of Diablo, who was by himself since there weren't enough partners to go around) across the surrounding countryside in search of Antoine. At the onset of dusk, Lupe and Stormblaze were the first to arrive back at camp.

"Do you really believe he has gone with Luna and Seff?" Lupe asked Stormblaze as they rested outside her tipi, looking to the taller Mobian with worry.

Stormblaze blew harshly through his nostrils in frustration. "It would not surprise me a bit if he has. Truly he means neither offense nor harm to you and your pack, and I believe he greatly respects you, but he is also quite eager to prove to himself and would view this Spirit Quest as an opportunity to do so."

Over the next hour, the rest of the pack gradually trickled back into the encampment, each wolf looking weary and breathless. Everyone was troubled to discover that not a one of them had been successful in locating Antoine. A panting Reynard and an equally winded Canus were the last to return.

"We came across Antoine's trail about half a mile away from here, heading west… I think he's left with Seff and Luna." Reynard reported, much to the astonishment of his packmates and Stormblaze's displeasure.

"I knew that half-breed was going to be more trouble than he was worth." Diablo grumbled in annoyance.

His remark earned him an outraged whinny and bared teeth in his direction from Stormblaze. "You would do well to mind your tongue, _sir_." The disguised unicorn said through gritted teeth.

Clenching his fists, Diablo glared straight back at Stormblaze, tail raised high and ears perked forward in an aggressive manner. But Stormblaze didn't divert his stormy gray gaze away from Diablo. Ever since he and Antoine had set foot in the camp, this wolf had been steadily trying his patience. The only reason Stormblaze hadn't told off Diablo when he had snapped at Antoine the other night was because Lupe had been quick to get her packmate back in line.

It was Lupe who reinstated peace. She moved in between Stormblaze and Diablo before things could escalate any further. "Please Diablo. Insults and fighting are not the solution here," She admonished, her stern gaze pinning the other wolf back. "The only thing we can do now is pray to the Great Wolf to keep Antoine safe."

Stormblaze relaxed – somewhat. He looked to the eastern horizon, where the sun was setting the sky aflame with vivid reddish-orange and deep pink hues as it began its daily exodus for the evening. _'Antoine, you are far too stubborn and impulsive for your own good.'_ He thought, new worries settling over him like a shroud.

Translations:

Bête noire: "Black beast". Used to refer to something that is strongly disliked.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

A terrified shout broke the stillness of the mountain woodland like a brick hurled through a glass window. Luna and Seff recognized who the scream belonged to, and startled, spun around, wondering what had frightened Antoine. "Antoine? Are you alright?"

Antoine stared back at them sheepishly before puffing out his chest and adopting an austere expression. "Er, _oui_! Yes! L-let us be continuing!" He answered, marching past the both of them. In actuality, he had allowed himself to become startled by a small forest-dwelling animal that had suddenly bounded across the trail in front of him, but not before briefly stopping to consider him before continuing along its way. How utterly embarrassing. _"Lupe or Stormblaze would have never allowed themselves to be scared by something so mundane!"_ He thought.

Mystified, Seff glanced at Luna. She appeared equally baffled by Antoine's behavior, but catching Seff's look, she only offered a shrug in response before resuming walking.

As the three continued their trek, they found themselves having to pick their way down a rocky hillside. Stumbling over a stone in his path, Antoine bit back an exclamation, thinking to himself how glad he would be once he, Luna, and Seff reached the Cave of Shadows and put all this harsh wilderness behind them… well, somewhat glad. He still hadn't forgotten the disturbing tales surrounding the cave. He noted with a touch of envy that Luna and Seff seemed to be having an easier time of it then he was, navigating the slope with ease. Even at their ages the two possessed much of the surefootedness that came so easily to their adult counterparts.

Fortunately for Antoine, the ground evened out again when they made it to the base of the hill, and he could walk in comfort once more. Suddenly, a strange high-pitched keening rent the air, causing him to freeze. He had never heard anything like it before, and alarmed, looked around, trying to determine exactly where the noise was originating from. A cry similar to the first one rang out, followed by the sounds of scuffling and shifting soil. He could tell it was coming from under the ground, but was having difficulty pinning down precisely where. Whatever it was that was responsible for the peculiar sounds was either rapidly moving around, or there was more than one of them. Or – and a chill crept into his stomach like an unwanted but familiar houseguest at his next thought - it could have been both of those possibilities.

Seeing Antoine suddenly stop, Seff and Luna halted as well, curiously eying him.

"What is it?" Luna asked.

Antoine pointed to the earth at their feet. "There is being something under there!"

He only received blank stares. How could they not hear that?

Seff inclined his head to one side, listening for himself, and Luna followed suit. After a minute, Luna's eyes met those of the coydog again. "Maybe you just need to take a break, Antoine."

Luna's not-so-subtle implication that he was merely hearing things outraged Antoine. He knew full well what he had heard. His earlier discussion with Stormblaze had convinced him that he was neither paranoid nor crazy after all when he heard things that no one else could.

Just as he was about to protest, the ground around them seemed to split apart and two large dark forms erupted from out of the soil, sending dirt, litter, and dust flying everywhere. Antoine and the siblings found themselves sandwiched in between two strange and hideous creatures. The three could see that they appeared to be insects of some sort, only they stood upright on spiky segmented legs, reaching five feet in height, and had grotesque humanoid faces from which protruded large jagged mandibles. The beasts seemed to lack the sentience that set Mobians apart from the feral creatures that roamed the wilderness, such as aervwingers and the herbivorous terrapods. But the manner in which the insects had suddenly appeared suggested an ambush, and the idea that creatures that big and frightening could come up with such a concept was an extremely unnerving thought.

Hungry jaws audibly snapping, the creatures advanced on the canines.

"What are those things?" Antoine yelped, backing away from the insectile beasts.

"Sorraxes!" Seff shouted back matter-of-factly. Rolling under the heavy limb that the sorrax to his right swung at him, Seff came to his feet and leapt right at the beast, brandishing a long tree branch that he was using as a replacement for his lost spear. He had decided to improvise rather than go weaponless. The youth paid for his bravado when, in the blink of an eye, the sorrax tunneled back into the soil, causing Seff to sail right over his target.

As Seff tried to locate his enemy, the giant insect reappeared behind him and furiously slashed at him with its clawed forelegs. Seff jumped back in order to avoid being speared, nearly losing his balance as he did. He was forced to go on the defensive as the sorrax kept up its frenzied attack, using his spear to fend off its wicked claws when able to.

All Antoine could see was the other monster's slavering jaws coming straight for him. With a frightened yelp, he ducked beneath the sorrax's snapping mandibles and darted between its legs. He never thought that he would ever be happy to be short, but he was now. He saw Luna nearby fending off a third sorrax, keeping it at bay by fiercely jabbing at it with her spear. If something happened to Seff or Luna, then Antoine knew that he would never be able forgive himself. The Wolf Pack probably wouldn't either. As the oldest Mobian here, he felt that it was his duty to keep them safe.

Drawing his sabre, Antoine charged over to slash the sorrax that Luna was battling squarely across its carapace. It was like trying to cut stone. The blade didn't leave a scratch. The sorrax didn't even bother turning around to see what had struck it, more preoccupied with trying to attack Luna. Frustrated that his attack had failed, Antoine kicked as hard as he could at one of the insect's six legs, the one closest to him.

He was surprised to see the sorrax stumble as its leg buckled beneath it.

In that moment, Luna took the opportunity to strike. Springing forward, she thrust her spear straight at the sorrax. The creature finally backed off, the spear embedded up to a foot in its chest. It's shrill cries of pain wrecked havoc with Antoine's hearing, and he unsteadily wobbled around on his feet, grimacing in pain as he attempted to cover his ears.

Luna wrenched her spear free with a wet sound that threatened to turn Antoine's stomach. She made to gouge the sorrax a second time, but one of its wildly thrashing legs struck her, knocking her to the ground. Maddened with pain, the sorrax advanced on Luna, but found its path being barred by a sabre-wielding Antoine. The sorrax lunged at him, but Antoine rammed his sabre right into its open maw. The creature clawed at the blade protruding from its mouth before falling heavily on its side, kicking feebly at the air.

Antoine struggled to free his sabre, and was forced to place his foot on the sorrax's neck (or was that its' shoulder? It was rather hard to tell, as it didn't have much of either) in order to brace the carcass and finally remove his weapon. During the clash, splatters of something green and vile had spurted from the sorrax's injuries and right onto the front of Antoine's uniform and sleeves, but he managed to ignore it for now. He turned to help a still shaken Luna stand.

Seff wasn't having much luck in fighting off the remaining sorrax. To make matters worse, a fourth one had tunneled up out of the ground and joined the fight. While Seff's stamina and energy was considerable due to both his age and species, he was starting to tire trying to keep one step ahead of the two predators, which were determined to make a meal out of him.

When Seff was sent sprawling by a heavy claw swung at his head, Antoine and Luna raced over to him. Before the sorrax could finish its job, together they grabbed Seff and pulled the dazed cub away in time.

"Retreat!" Antoine screamed. Hoping to outrun the oversized insects, the trio fled. Greatly displeased at being robbed of their quarry, the remaining sorraxes pursued them hotly, still shrieking terribly.

Something directly in their path made all three canines come to an immediate stop. Before them, the ground fell away, forming a steep cliff that overlooked a vale. The sight caused Antoine to sharply suck his breath in. Nervously, he hazarded a glance over his shoulder. The sorraxes were coming closer. Fifteen more feet and they would be upon the three of them.

Luna, who had been intently studying the cliff side, pointed down at a narrow precipice jutting out from the cliff. "Down there!"

The idea was much too risky for Antoine's taste, but it was either climb down onto the precipice or stay up there with the sorraxes. He descended first, and then helped Luna and Seff climb down. There the three of them huddled, silently hoping and praying that that the crag would hold their combined weight.

It wasn't a moment too soon, as the sorraxes were right on their tails. So intent on the chase were they that by the time they noticed the cliff edge, it was too late for them. They were unable to stop themselves in time and barreled right over the cliff. The sorraxes' bulky forms hurtled past the trio and down towards the valley, their shrieks continuing to linger in the air for some time.

Tired but relieved, Antoine, Seff, and Luna managed to climb back up onto the crown of the cliff. "Thank the Great Wolf those things are stupid." Seff stated, panting heavily.

Antoine didn't move. If one were to look at his eyes, then they would've have seen that they held what was commonly known as a thousand yard stare. At that moment, he didn't care about the bedraggled mess that had been made of his headfur, or the gore on his clothing, or the dust and grass that further dirtied his uniform. His ears still rung slightly, and his hands and legs trembled from the rush of adrenaline he had just experienced. At this point, Antoine almost expected some sort of vicious new beast of prey to make an appearance, or for some other manner of calamity to strike them. This Spirit Quest was absolutely foolhardy!

Wrapping his hands around his head, Antoine began ranting fearfully to himself. "This is dangerous! I – I have been making a big mistake! I need to get back to camp!"

His panicked outburst startled Luna and Seff out of their rest. Worried, they looked at one another and then ventured over to his side. They had seen him nervous and frightened before, but never in such a state of pure hysteria until now.

Taking hold Antoine by his shoulders, Seff gently shook him. "Hey, c'mon Antoine. Everything's fine now. We don't have much farther to go."

"He's right," Luna put in. "As long as we push ourselves and stick to the route, we'll get to the Cave of Shadows. You said you wanted to do this, right?" Still breathing somewhat harshly, Antoine could only nod in response. "Well, you can't back out now." Luna said, her voice taking on a note of firmness. Crossing her arms, she stared seriously at Antoine as she went on. "Look at how far you've come. Not only that, but trying to go back to camp by yourself might be even more dangerous than finishing this. So you just might as well continue."

Antoine's eyes rapidly darted back and forth between Luna and Seff before he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Calmed by the ritual, he opened his eyes and addressed the siblings. "The both of you are being right. I am sorry for… flipping off."

Seff started to laugh at Antoine's response, and even Luna looked amused. Seeing Antoine giving him a peeved look, Seff caught himself and stopped laughing, but a grin still lingered on his muzzle. "Sorry. I think what you mean is 'flipping out'. Flipping off means when somebody…" Leaning down, he whispered into Antoine's ear. When he finished, he pulled back. "See why we laughed?"

Antoine's eyes had grown as large as saucers as he listened to Seff. "That is most certainly not what I was wanting to say! _Merci_ for telling me this. I would hate to be saying something so… so vulgar when I am meaning to say something else."

"Don't sweat it. So, you two ready to go?"

Pleased that her speech had had the desired effect on Antoine, Luna nodded proudly. "Been ready!"

"_Oui_. Lead the way." Antoine readily agreed. Admittedly, Seff's use of the phrase "don't sweat it" left him mystified, but he perfectly understood the word "go". If danger happened to rear its ugly head again, he would not allow himself to panic. From what he could tell, his momentary loss of control didn't seem to have lowered his standing with the siblings, but he still needed to keep up a brave front. He would remain composed for their sakes as well as his own.

* * *

Aside from some scrapes, bruises, scratches, and cuts earned from the mishap at the bridge and their clash with the Sorraxs, Antoine was happy that none of them had been seriously injured. He found himself wishing he had bought Stormblaze along. His own knowledge of first aid was basic at best, and Stormblaze's healing powers would have been welcome. Antoine knew that abrasions and cuts needed to be cleaned and covered to prevent infection (the very thought of which made him shudder inwardly) from setting in. Clean cool water could be used to cleanse wounds. During their journey, they had chanced across a gulch filled with water, but had nothing to boil water in. In the end he figured that they would be alright since the three of them weren't going to be out here too long. Still, Antoine warned Seff and Luna to be careful not to get dirt in their injuries.

Now, in the dying light of the evening sun, Antoine, Seff, and Luna found themselves standing outside the entrance to the Cave Of Shadows. Seeing the fabled cave for himself, Lupe's stories about Spirit Quest participants and travelers who had taken shelter there being driven insane by nightmarish visions raced like a certain speedy hedgehog to the forefront of Antoine's mind. Could it be haunted? Maybe ghosts were the culprits behind the visions – _'Stop that!'_ He mentally scolded himself.

"The two of you are not being scared by what Lupe was saying earlier, are you?" Antoine asked, wanting to reassure himself that he wasn't the only one feeling nervous at that moment. He tried his best to disguise his apprehension, but knew they could probably pick up on it. Most Mobians were attuned to emotions after all, some better than others in fact.

Seff merely squared his jaw. "Not in a million years."

"Me neither," Luna said, shaking her head. "Not as long as I have this." She tugged on the leather thong that hung around her neck, pulling out a small copper pendant shaped like an arrowhead that had been hidden inside the top of her leotard. She held the pendant up so that Antoine could better see it. "See? It's a good luck charm. Before Seff and I joined the Wolf Pack, the pack shaman gave each of us our own. The arrow represents protection."

So the pendant that Seff wore was more than a mere adornment. "Are they working?" Antoine asked, scrutinizing the charm. While he was religious, he wasn't quite certain if he believed in things like lucky charms or not.

"Well, we managed to get out of every jam we've gotten into, so I'd say they do. Of course, you might've had something to do with that too." Luna replied with a smile.

"Well, come on," Drawing himself up to his full height, Seff looked severely between Antoine and Luna. "What are we waiting for?"

The three took their first cautious steps inside. As they did, the musty odor of mildew and dampness entered their noses. It was easy to see how the cave had earned its name. The interior was incredibly dark, and the further in they went, the darker it became. Any natural light that found its way in wound up being swallowed up by the shadows. Before, Luna had told Antoine that no one had ever managed to successfully map out the entirety of the cave before, but its passageways were said to run for at least sixty miles, and were very easy to become lost in.

"Why don't we try to find some firewood before it gets too dark? I can start the fire." Luna offered, trying to sound cheerful. "This place will probably be cozier if it's warmer." Her voice echoed hollowly through the cavern and down into the tunnel system, sending a nervous chill up all of their spines.

It was a sound suggestion, so they set out. Antoine was about to announce that he would prepare dinner before recalling that they weren't supposed to eat or drink anything until completing the Spirit Quest. He supposed it was only fair the same rule went for him. However, he could hear his stomach complaining about the lack of food – yet again. And they were supposed to go an entire night on empty stomachs!

The trio's search turned up a number of tree branches and what the siblings referred to as terrapod "chips" (though to Antoine's great disgust, they were obviously _not_ actual snack chips), as well as dried brush that could be used for kindling. They also managed to find enough leaves, moss, and other similar plant material to scrape together halfway decent pallets for the night.

Returning to the cave, they assembled the fuel in a pile by the wall, then settled down some ways away from the entrance. Luna didn't waste any time in getting a fire started. Taking several branches and some brush from the fuel pile, she placed the material together in a heap and knelt down in front of it with two small sticks in hand. She rubbed them together furiously, and was eventually rewarded when a wispy gray tendril of smoke arose from the rapidly heating sticks, followed shortly by a small flicker of flame. Soon the beginnings of a small fire were born.

"Well, tonight's gonna be extra boring." Seff mumbled from where he sat. "What are we gonna do until tomorrow morning, stare at the walls?"

"This isn't supposed to be fun. Aunt Lupe says that while we're here, we are supposed to be discovering ourselves." Luna retorted, sounding as though she was reciting a passage from a school textbook.

"Whaaatever." Seff drawled, completely unimpressed.

Antoine was actually inclined to agree with Seff, but did not want to set the siblings against one another and so refrained from saying anything. Instead, he glanced around at their surroundings, and just happened to notice what appeared to be paintings adorning the walls. Going over for a better look at them, he tilted his head back slightly in order to see the three images better. They appeared ancient and fairly crude in their design, but as Antoine studied them, he realized that each painting was telling a story. In the first scene, a massive bird that possessed a hooked beak like an eagle or some other bird of prey soared beneath gray rain clouds. The next image featured several Mobians in primitive clothing as well as feral animals dancing among green meadows and valleys that bore a bounty of fruits and other crops. The last one depicted what appeared to be the very same fields and hills, only they were bleak and devoid of any life.

"That bird flying there? That's the Thunderbird." Antoine turned to see Seff walking over to stand next to him, having noticed the paintings himself. "She was a being who had great power, and she used to watch over this land."

"Was there something happening to her?"

Seff shrugged. "She hasn't been seen in a long time. Some say that the Skinwalker's responsible for her disappearance." Seeing Antoine's puzzled expression, he quickly explained, "The Skinwalker is an evil sorcerer who roams these parts. He can change into all sorts of animals, and even into a Mobian like you or me. He uses his powers to terrorize anyone who comes onto his territory…. And he _eats_ Mobians!"

"Seff…" Luna didn't look up from her attempts at keeping the blaze going, but her tone of voice made it quite evident that she didn't approve of discussing the topic of the Skinwalker.

"Aw, come on! You're not scared of some dumb old story, are you?" Seff laughed. "The Skinwalker probably left these parts ages ago."

"No." Luna shortly replied. "Just respectful. I don't think you remember what happened to the last person who laughed at the Skinwalker. They found nothing left of him but his sandals."

"Very funny, Lulu." Seff dryly retorted, though his smile was no longer present on his muzzle.

Antoine said nothing. The thought of yet another wicked sorcerer creeping about failed to make him feel any more comfortable then he already was. He couldn't wait for morning to arrive. As usual, he found himself regretting an idea he had come up with (one of the few that hadn't backfired in his face - yet - was leaving Knothole for his original quest). Going along on the Spirit Quest sounded like a good idea when he had initially thought of it. Not only had he failed to thoroughly think things through, but he had been too hasty in writing this experience off as being an easy feat to accomplish. The next time he considered doing anything like this, he was going to listen to Lupe and Stormblaze and stay put. Returning to his spot by the fire, Antoine made certain not to sit too closely to the mouth of the cave and kept near the wolves.

The trio decided to pass the time by chatting. Luna and Seff questioned Antoine about the other Knothole Freedom Fighters and what they were like, having heard them being talked about several times before by the other Wolf Pack members. Antoine didn't really want to discuss his teammates, largely because he feared being overshadowed by their exploits, as was par for the course. He tried to shift the siblings' focus onto other subjects, but that only made them more curious. At last, he gave up and grudgingly obliged them, though of course he had to throw in his own opinions about everyone. At least the conversation helped take Antoine's mind off of more frightening thoughts like the Skinwalker and the cave's eerie atmosphere.

Eventually, Luna excused herself, saying she was going to step outside for some fresh air. Seff meanwhile was displaying signs of drowsiness. He wasn't as loquacious as he was earlier in the evening. His eyelids were starting to droop, and sometimes his head would bob before he caught himself and snapped awake. Sleepiness was beginning to affect Antoine as well, and he unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a yawn. This wasn't the most desirable place to fall asleep, but they really didn't have much of a choice in the matter. At least the palettes were somewhat more comfortable than just lying on the cold hard floor.

Luna prevented him from drifting into slunberland. "Antoine, do you think you could come here for a moment?"

Getting up from his sitting position on his palette, Antoine went to go see what she wanted. Standing four feet away from the entrance was Luna. She was gazing up at the sky, almost seeming entranced by the sight of the moon. Tonight, it was nearly full.

Hearing Antoine's approach, Luna turned to him with a smile. "It's a beautiful night, don't you think?"

"It is," Antoine agreed. "Was there being something you needed?"

"Oh, well…" Luna started playing with her braid, which was draped over one shoulder. "I wanted to say thank you for everything you did for Seff and me today. I'm sorry I didn't believe you at first about the Sorraxs."

"Think nothing of it." Antoine brightly replied. He absolutely loved receiving praise. It really lifted his spirits to know he had done something right for a change. The problem was that he typically didn't get a whole lot of praise, and the few times it had come his way before he hadn't exactly reacted very humbly. Mentally, he reminded himself that he was not going to crow about what he had done. So what could he say that wouldn't be boastful?

Antoine was careful as he chose his next words. "Helping others is being my job as both a squire and a Freedom Fighter. I would not be wanting to see you or Seff get hurt." There. Now he didn't think that sounded like bragging. It was true, and how he genuinely felt.

"That's so brave of you!" Luna gushed. Apparently embarrassed by her outburst, she went back to playing with her braid, winding the length of fur around her fingers and wearing a somewhat shy expression as she did. "See, at first I wasn't sure about you coming with us, because technically you're breaking Pack Law by doing this, but I don't think Seff and I could've made it without help."

To Antoine's surprise, Luna embraced him. Managing to work a hand free, Antoine reached up and rather awkwardly patted her head. He never knew that wolves could be so affectionate. Suddenly, his half-smile faltered completely. Something Luna just said had given him cause for worry.

"Wait – Pack Law? What is this being?"

Luna released her hold on him. "Well, there are certain rules that govern wolf packs. That's Pack Law. One of those rules is that no one else other then the wolves who've been officially named as participants are supposed to go on the Spirit Quest. It's really frowned upon."

Antoine gulped nervously. "Um, there is not being a serious penalty for this, is there?" He didn't know what sort of punishments the wolves used for rule-breakers, but regardless of whoever carried them out, punishments were never pleasant.

"Uh, I really don't know. I think that's up to the chief wolf." Seeing his evident fear, Luna flashed Antoine a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Seff and I will tell everybody what you did for us. I don't see why they'd punish you since you saved our lives."

Antoine breathed a sigh of relief. "_Merci_, _demoiselle_."

"_Demoiselle_?" Luna blinked a little at that before giggling girlishly. "What does that mean? It sounds fancy."

"It is just meaning young lady."

Luna stared at him. "You… you really think I'm a lady?"

"Um, well, you are being a _femme_, so _oui_." Antoine answered, wondering why Luna was starting to behave so peculiarly.

"It's just that when one of my packmates calls me 'young lady', it usually means I've done something wrong. I mean, I don't get into trouble as much as Seff does, but everyone still thinks I'm just some know-it-all cub. Not you though." Drawing closer to Antoine again (and causing him to edge away from her), she gazed adoringly at him.

Antoine was about to tell Luna that surely not all of the Wolf Pack members viewed her in that way. He also wanted to ask if something was the matter, since she was doing nothing but staring at him, but their conversation was suddenly interrupted.

"Hey, what are you two doing out there? Kissin'?" Seff shouted at them. He was standing at the cave's entryway, mischievously grinning at them.

"Please, Seff." Antoine threw him a glance that had more than a little annoyance in it. While he knew Seff wasn't being serious, the idea of him pursuing someone who was a cub was still outrageous to say the least. As wretched as his luck in romance was, the coydog didn't think he'd ever be _that_ desperate. He assumed Luna must have been similarly aggravated, because she wore a rather strange expression on her face.

Turning to Luna, Antoine politely extended an arm for her to take. "Well, shall we be retirementing?" He saw no point in lingering out here any longer. They all needed to get their rest so they could wake up tomorrow morning and begin the trip back to camp. Hopefully he would receive a glimpse of his future in his dreams tonight, and the Source willing, it'd be something wondrous. And perhaps a good night's rest would also serve to cure Luna of her odd mood.

The young wolf still appeared vexed, but her expression brightened considerably at seeing Antoine's gentlemanly gesture. Eagerly, Luna took his arm and allowed Antoine to lead her back inside the Cave Of Shadows.

* * *

That was funny. Antoine would have sworn he had just heard his name being called, and lifted his head from where it was lying on the pallet, trying to discern who it might be. It couldn't have been Luna or Seff; he could see they both were still sound asleep. No one else could be in here with them either, as they would have long since detected the presence of an intruder… wouldn't they?

Aside from the soft crackling of the fire, Antoine could hear nothing now. Everything seemed to be perfectly normal.

'_Perhaps it was just a really vivid dream.'_ He thought, lowering his head and closing his eyes.

"_Antoine…"_

This time Antoine sat straight up. He had clearly heard that - somebody was calling his name. Furthermore, he thought he recognized the speaker. But it couldn't have been _her_. Not here, not now…

And yet, he knew he had just heard Princess Sally calling to him. He stared off in the direction of the tunnel at their backs that led further into the recesses of the cave. The voice had come from down that way. The three of them hadn't ventured far beyond the spot where they were sleeping for the night, and not even Seff and Luna were sure what the tunnel might lead to. He shivered in spite of the fire's warmth.

"_Antoine_…"

It would seem that this matter required further investigation. Antoine glanced over at the sleeping brother and sister before climbing to his feet. He couldn't even begin to explain how Sally had gotten here, or why she even was here in the first place, but something in her voice implored him to go find her. If it was indeed his princess, then as her faithful bodyguard it was his duty to see if she was safe first and foremost, and then figure out everything else.

Before leaving, he put on his sword belt, comforted by the familiar sensation and weight around his waist, and created a torch by taking a stout branch from the firewood stack and placing the end into the flames. Being part coyote, he was capable of seeing in the dark as though it were daylight. The torch was just for a bit of extra protection.

"_Antoine_…"

Beckoned by the voice, Antoine left his companions behind without a single word as he obeyed its siren call. Upon reaching a junction where the tunnel split into two separate passageways, he paused, trying to decide which one he needed to take. At the same time, he listened carefully. Princess Sally had ceased speaking since he last heard her, but as though realizing he was having trouble finding his way, her voice came echoing through the tunnel, easily distinguishable to him from the ambient sounds of dripping water and rushing wind.

"_Antoine_…"

Antoine took the passage on the left-hand side, realizing that her voice was coming from that direction. Eventually, he found himself standing alone inside a large cavern. Feeling almost like he had just come out of a dream or daze, he massaged his forehead. He wondered just how deep inside the cave system he was. If he was lost, would he ever be able to find a way out?

Looking around, he could see that the ceiling of the subterrane soared high over his head, and a ledge running around the length of the wall. Crevasses, the largest of which appeared big enough for a Mobian of Canus's height or slightly taller to walk right into, were scattered at random places in the wall just behind the ledge. There was no telling where they might lead to. Towards the center of the cavern floor was a stalagmite that stood three times as tall as Antoine did and was reminiscent of a predator's fang in shape, unsettlingly enough. He saw no sign of Sally, or anyone else for that matter. Antoine frowned in aggravation. In all likelihood he had probably just dreamt that he heard the princess. Why hadn't he just ignored the voice and tried to go back to sleep?

He was just turning to go but suddenly stopped, realizing that he wasn't as alone in here as he had originally believed. Antoine thought he noticed something skulking around that oddly-shaped boulder from out of the corner of his eye, but it could have been the firelight from his torch playing tricks on his vision.

"Is anyone being there?" He hesitantly called out, raising the torch higher as he stared hard in the direction of the rock. Whoever it was, it seemed like they were trying to hide from him.

Finally, someone did step out from behind the boulder and out into the open where Antoine could clearly see them. He gawked at the figure in utter disbelief. "Princess? What are you doing here?"

Translations:

Demoiselle: Young lady.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Author's notes: **I'd like to warn ahead of time that this chapter becomes fairly violent. It's nothing too horribly graphic (if you've ever read the Redwall series before, KE's fight scenes are similar in tone to the ones featured in the books), but I still wanted to drop a warning just in case some readers are sensitive about that sort of thing.

The figure was indeed Princess Sally, or at least someone who bore an uncanny resemblance to her, standing there and looking back at Antoine with big blue eyes and a sweet smile on her lovely face. Antoine hung back, ears folded back against his head as he carefully watched Sally… or whoever it was. He never would have thought that he would ever be so disturbed to see her. His mind was screaming at him that this wasn't right at all. Sally was all the way back in Knothole Village. Even if she had set out in search of him, how would she have known to come here to the Cave Of Shadows to find him? He struggled between getting out of there as fast as possible, or going up to her and asking was he dreaming.

Sally solved Antoine's dilemma for him, coming up to him and warmly embracing him. "Antoine! I'm so happy to see you again. I have some great news."

"W-w-w-what kind of news?" Antoine's eyes were wide as he stared at the phantom-Sally in astonishment. When she had hugged him just then, he noticed that she felt warm to the touch, and her two-toned brown fur was soft, just like a real mammal's. She even smelled and sounded like Sally.

Sally's dazzling smile grew broader. "Yes. Sonic and I are going to be married!"

"Married?" Antoine practically screeched.

"You shouldn't be so surprised, you know. After all, we were made to be. The beautiful, amazing princess and her dashing hero!" The chipmunk/ground squirrel hybrid clasped her hands over her heart, long, dark eyelashes fluttering as she gazed dreamily off into space.

Antoine still couldn't believe what he was hearing. "B-but what about the war?"

She shrugged. "What about it? Like I said, we're perfect for each other. Not only are we good friends who work closely together a lot of the time, but I'm the rational, responsible one and he's hotheaded and stubborn. You know what they say about opposites attracting."

Antoine had heard others go on about how perfect Sonic and Sally were for one another before, and quite frankly was tired of it. "Just because the two of you are being _mon amies_ who are going on a lot of missions together does not mean that you are 'made to be'!" He retorted, his anger causing his stammer to disappear. "_Oui_, you and he are opposites, but that is certainly not meaning you would make a good couple! There are friends who are different from each other, and these differences are making them disagree at times. What if your differences cause the both of you to fight a lot? And you – and Sonic - are only sixteen now. You are not really knowing what you are saying. You might want to marry somebody else when you are older!"

Crossing her arms, Sally fixed Antoine with a scornful look. "Antoine, just give it up. I'm not interested in dating someone who runs away every time he hears a cricket chirp. You know, a _loser_." She spat out the word 'loser' as though it were a piece of rotten fruit.

Antoine just stared at Sally. Was this truly how she felt about him? He turned away from her, wanting to gather his thoughts. "You are right," He said, sighing as he returned his attention back to Sally. "I cannot be making you listen to _moi_. I will still serve as your loyal guard, because that is being the task given to _moi_ by _mes mere_, and I have promised to uphold _mon_ duty. But I am tired of being the loser, I am tired of hearing how perfect you and Sonic are for each other, and I am tired of doing all the fighting with Sonic. If there is still a chance I can win your _amour_, then I will be true to myself to do so, like _mademoiselle_ Lupe said. But if you are really wanting Sonic, then that is fine. You can have him." While hurt by his princess' harsh words, he also found himself surprised by his own. He supposed that speech had been floating around in his mind for some time now. He had always wanted to be able to say all of that to Sally, but it took hearing some nasty things for him to finally come out and do so.

Antoine stalked back towards the entrance without another word or glance behind him, leaving the startled Sally standing there in his wake. He didn't want to remain here another second. Unexpectedly though, a blue… _something_ seemed to dash in from out of nowhere and zipped around Antoine in a circle. It was moving far too fast for him to clearly make out what it was, but there was something alarmingly familiar about it. _'Oh no…_'

The blue figure skid to an easy controlled stop. Leaning against the wall, one white-gloved hand set on the wall to support his weight and the other balled into a fist resting on his hip, Sonic stood before Antoine, eyeing him with a superior look. He looked about as substantial as Sally did.

Taken aback by the sudden entrance of his adversary, Antoine slowly backed away. Just what on Mobius was going on? Was he delusional, or going insane? Was there some sort of fell magic at work here? Tightly closing his eyes, Antoine whispered, "This is not real, this is not real…"

"Will you quit whining and shaking in your boots for once?" He heard Sonic irritably snap. "I mean, I know that's all you're good for, but try switchin' your routine up sometime. You're gettin' predictable."

Antoine opened his eyes. Sonic was still there, unfortunately.

"Speaking of which Ant, I gotta say that I don't even know why you still bother trying to compete with me. It's not like you'll ever win or anything. No matter how hard you try, you'll always be a loser." The speedster continued on in a conversational tone.

Finding himself growing angrier and angrier at Sonic, Antoine growled, the fur on the nape of his neck bristling. "I am not caring what you think of _moi_, you foolish hedgehog! Stormblaze does not think I am being a loser, and neither does Lupe!" He was missing Stormblaze more now than ever. His telempathic powers would have been useful in discerning whether these apparitions were just a product of Antoine's imagination or not.

"Wow, a grand total of two Mobians," Sonic rolled his brown eyes. "Big whoop. Now on the other hand, everyone totally admires and loves me. And why not? I've got cool powers, I always save the day, and I have a hot girlfriend who's also a princess!" He grinned proudly.

"Let _mes_ through." Antoine grumbled, striding purposefully towards the exit again. He and Sonic had never actually come to blows before, regardless of how heated their bickering became, but now he was incensed enough to shove Sonic aside if he didn't move.

Sonic didn't budge. Instead, he swiftly lashed out with his leg, the powerful kick catching Antoine in the stomach. Winded by the surprise attack, Antoine was driven to his knees. Clutching his stomach, he gazed up through pain-bleared eyes to find Sonic standing over him, slowly shaking his spiky head back and forth and clucking his tongue in mock disapproval.

"Your parents would be _so_ disappointed to see how you turned out. Check it out." He clapped once.

Antoine was too stunned to try and figure out why Sonic had just clapped, or what that clap signaled. Hearing that barb about his parents was far worse than any kick. Sonic had said some pretty hurtful things to and about him before, but that was by far the worst.

As his vision started to clear, Antoine saw something that shocked him so he nearly choked. He happened to be facing a spacious garden-like area enclosed within pale gray stone walls. A myriad of flowers, shrubs, and trees of many different species, all of which were obviously well cared for, grew along the walkways. At the center of the garden was a large, elegant, white fountain. It must have been a castle courtyard. The familiarity of this place nagged at him, and Antoine furrowed his brow as he struggled to remember where he had seen it before. Wait - he knew where he was now. This was the courtyard of Castle Acorn before Robotnik overthrew the royal family!

Completely forgetting Sonic for the moment, Antoine turned to his left when his peripheral vision allowed him to spy movement from the corner of his eye. A figure he quickly recognized as his father Armand was standing on the lawn, watching as a pup who appeared to be around five years of age happily scampered around waving a kind of wooden practice sword called a waster. If Antoine was stupefied to see his father, then he was even more astounded to realize that the pup, who was wearing a long-sleeved dark azure-colored shirt, was none other than himself. Armand was clad in a cream cavalier shirt, which was a departure from all of the pictures and paintings Antoine had seen of him in which he wore his ornate general's uniform, the front of which was usually festooned with the various medals and honors he had received for his service to the crown. In one hand the general clutched his own waster, a much larger version of the one his son carried.

As the older Antoine and Sonic watched, apparently unseen by those they were observing, Armand lifted Antoine's much younger self up into the air. Both were laughing merrily.

"When I am a knight, I will have _mes_ own streaking pasha! He will be fast and brave and able to jump over whole mountains!" The young Antoine animatedly proclaimed, waster still held in his little hand.

"Such a beast would indeed be a fine steed for you, my little knight, but you must remember - there is more to being a knight then just having your own streaking pasha," The coyote replied, smiling indulgently at his son as he set him back down before having a seat on a nearby bench. Like Antoine, Armand was also speaking in English, though his heavy French accent was plain to hear. "Now, do you remember the knights' code?"

Young Antoine went silent as he contemplated the question. "A knight must be loyal, honest, honorable… um… valley-ris… and… gracious to all women?"

"Valorous," Armand gently corrected, ruffling Antoine's golden headfur. "But you have it. Sometimes I think you might be too smart for your own good." He joked before his expression grew solemn. Catching the sudden change in his father's demeanor, the young Antoine watched him inquisitively. "Remember the code, and always keep it close to your heart. If you do this, then you will be one of the finest knights to ever serve this great kingdom."

The tender scene suddenly shifted as though someone had thrown a switch. The courtyard still remained, but appeared decidedly different from how it had looked before. The footpaths and walls were cracked and filthy, the plant life had withered and died, and the fountain looked like it had been dried up for a long time. Even the sky had taken on a sickly yellow hue, with thick whitish-gray blankets of noxious smog blotting out the sun.

The general was still present, but the young Antoine was nowhere in sight, replaced by the graceful figure of an adult female Mobian who stood by Armand's side. It was Antoine's mother, Belle. She and Armand wore flat expressions on their faces as they stared at the horizon. The color of their fur, their clothing, their eyes, everything about them was dull and muted. With a gasp of horror, Antoine realized he could actually see straight through them as if they were ghosts.

"_Mon dieu_…" Lurching towards them, Antoine reached a hand out towards the specters.

His approach seemed to stir his parents, and they stared listlessly at him. They clearly recognized him, but neither said a single word to him. Armand looked away from him, focusing on the ground instead and setting his muzzle in a tight, grim line, while Belle just stared at Antoine, great sadness in her doe-like eyes.

Finally, Armand spoke, not even bothering to look Antoine's way as he did. "Antoine… Have you so quickly forgotten what I taught you? How could you shame us the way you have? Not just us, but our family name."

"I... I…" Antoine tried to respond to the accusation, but this was all too much for him.

Belle started to speak, but no words left her mouth. The poodle shut her eyes. A single glistening tear rolled down her cheek. "_S'il vous plaît__, __va disparaître_." She finally managed to croak out, voice choked with emotion. Turning away from Antoine, the couple began walking towards an archway that led out of the courtyard and back to the castle, their figures becoming fainter and dimmer in the ugly light.

"Wait!" Antoine frantically cried out. "_Je suis desole_! I can do better!" He tried to grab his mother's shoulder, but his hand passed through her as though she was nothing more than smoke. Too late he realized that he shouldn't have done that, because his parents both vanished into thin air, leaving Antoine standing there by himself in the ruined courtyard.

Hot tears started flowing freely down his face. Sniffling, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. He willed himself to stop, not wanting Sonic to witness him in such a state, but the tears wouldn't cease. He hadn't really cried like this since his first week of being in Knothole after having fled Robotnik with the other refugees. Oh sure, there had been times since then when he had either felt like crying or started to, but never a moment where he had had a serious bout of sobbing. He strove to maintain a brave front for the rest of the youngsters, Rosie, and Cat, but the knowledge that he might never see his family or any of their friends alive again had become too much to bear, and one day he snuck down into one of the cellars and broke down.

The haunting vision of Castle Acorn faded away into nothingness, and Antoine was back in the grotto, although he was too distressed right then to really notice. When he succeeded in getting a rein on his emotions and his crying had subsided, a familiar voice suddenly asked from behind him, "Why do you have to mess up everything you touch?" The speaker didn't bother to mask the contempt in his tone.

"_Bonjour_, Rotor." Antoine monotonously replied. He didn't make any effort to turn around and look, as he knew that the purple walrus would somehow be right there. He didn't know what had happened to Sonic, nor did he really care. He was drained, emotionally and physically. How much longer would this torture drag on? Would everyone he had ever known show up to berate and deride him? "Are you being here to tell me how I am not worthy to breathe the same air as Sonic?" The coydog asked.

"Actually no, but now that you mention it, you're not worthy to breath the same air as Snively." Rotor thoughtfully replied, tapping his chin with a finger.

Once upon a time, Antoine had believed that Rotor was his friend. After all, at first glance the techie came across as being exceptionally laidback and good-natured. The two had played together just fine when they had been puppy and calf respectively, but as they grew older, their relationship had changed for the worse. Rotor's maltreatment of Antoine tended to be more of the subtle, sneaky variety, as opposed to Sonic's open antagonism – he would do things like intentionally target Antoine with unpleasant things like ice-cold water balloons or paintballs during the Knothole Freedom Fighters' training exercises in which they had to try and evade "enemy gunfire" on an obstacle course controlled by Rotor, and laugh and talk disparagingly about Antoine with Sonic when he didn't think Antoine could hear him. Antoine wondered if Rotor had picked this up from Sonic, or had just come to despise him on his own.

Strolling around to stand in front of Antoine, Rotor sneered at him. "Really, I don't know what's more annoying about you: the cowardice, the clumsiness, having to listen to all your stupid stories about knights and being sworn to uphold this and that, or the endless bragging. Seriously, nobody cares. How can you be a knight when you can't even follow the rules of acting like one?"

Antoine stared tiredly at Rotor, too exhausted to defend himself by that point. Rotor was right, and so were his parents. He _hadn't_ practiced what he had been taught. He didn't deserve knighthood. He couldn't fight and needed to be rescued by everybody else, even after leaving Knothole on his quest. He would only be a hindrance to Stormblaze, and he would be better off without Antoine around.

"I think a change of scenery would be nice, don't you?" Rotor asked in a falsely pleasant voice. Not bothering to wait for a reply, he snapped his fingers.

Once again, Antoine found himself inexplicably transported to an entirely different setting. Right away the coydog identified his and Rotor's new location as Knothole Village. The pink-streaked pale blue sky over their heads indicated that it was probably just a little after daybreak. Getting Antoine's attention, Rotor pointed over to a site that was in close proximity to the huts in which most of the Freedom Fighters lived. It was the spot where the group would regularly hold meetings.

The two saw that Sally, Sonic, Bunnie, and another Rotor were there, settled either on logs or the grass as a second Antoine, clearly much older than he had been in the previous vision, possibly about fifteen years old, faced the four. He was dressed in Armand's uniform, and stood tall and proud. His arms were folded behind his back, and on his face was an expression of utmost seriousness. Behind him was a chalkboard covered in neat writing that had been set up on a stand for everybody to see. Antoine realized that his double was in the process of addressing the others, and strained to hear himself talk.

"… So, as the bravest and wisest among you, I have taken the liberty of making a schedule that we will be following to the 'z'." The other Antoine grandly announced as he began to deliberately march back and forth. "Firstly and foreman, we will be waking up at the crackerjack of dawn to be training. Of course, due to _mon_ expertise as a warrior, I will personally be handling the training."

Sonic clapped a hand over his mouth, trying to hide his sniggering and doing a poor job of it, while Sally and Bunnie both looked drowsy and like they would much rather be somewhere else just then. Rotor was rolling his eyes and glancing up at the sky every couple of minutes. The fifteen-year old Antoine was completely oblivious to their disinterest in his speech, droning on about training drills and such.

Antoine grimaced as he watched the scene. He remembered that day. The Knothole Freedom Fighters had finally been granted permission to carry out missions without needing an adult's presence. The night before, Antoine had requested that everyone awaken at sunrise so he could start drilling them, and had even created an extensive schedule as well as a list of potential mission plans and training exercises for them to perform. His little lecture… hadn't gone well. Watching himself behave like that was utterly embarrassing. He had never realized that the other Freedom Fighters (well, aside from Sonic) found the facts, stories, and ideas he shared with them to be so tedious to listen to, or how totally ridiculous and pretentious he sounded while relating them. The others may not have treated him right, but he hadn't exactly been a pleasure to be around either.

"I… I was only wanting to show that I could be useful and smart too, like you and the princess are," Antoine quietly admitted to Rotor, staring down at his boots. "I was thinking that everyone might be liking _moi_ better if I did. But…"

Rotor's light blue eyes narrowed. "Say it."

"… I was making it too far."

Rotor smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand, giving a loud sigh of exasperation as he did. "It's 'taking it too far', genius. Jeez, you can't even talk properly! Go back to Mercia Frenchie, we all think you're too stupid to be taught English."

"Shut up." Antoine's voice barely rose above a whisper.

"Come again?" Rotor glanced over at him.

Clenching his hands into tight fists, Antoine stamped right up to Rotor, blue eyes dark with fury. "I truly am wanting to be a better person, but are any of you ever trying to help _moi_? _Pas!_ All you do is sit around laughing at _moi_ and treating _moi_ like a pup! _I am_ _seventeen years old!_" He was yelling in Rotor's face now, roughly prodding the flabbergasted pinniped in the chest with his finger. "I am being foolish and cowardly and a lot of other things, but even I am still knowing that that is not how a team is supposed to be working! Teammates help and watch out for each other! Not one of you has ever done that for _moi_! You are all being… fakes! I do not need the approval of any of you!"

Rotor backed away, holding his hands out in front of him. Antoine's outburst seemed to have genuinely taken him off guard. "Well, if that's how you feel…"

Knothole was no more. Once again they had returned to the Cave of Shadows. Feeling exhausted, Antoine sank to his hands and knees, completely ignoring Rotor. He didn't think he could take this any longer. He would rather be struck blind before being subjected to another terrible vision. At the same time however, he realized that the things he witnessed had finally opened his eyes to the truth.

The other Freedom Fighters' typically apathetic attitudes towards him were what hurt more than anything. While he could certainly give Sally credit for often scolding Sonic whenever he started in on Antoine, not once had she ever attempted to help Antoine learn how to defend himself or get over his fears so that he could better serve her and the rest of the team. Yet she was the one who was always lecturing everybody about teamwork. Antoine also doubted that she stopped Sonic out of any true affection or pity for himself. Rather, it seemed she just felt that it was her duty to break up any squabbles among the group. Then there were all those times where she had grown irate with him when all he wanted to do was show her how much he thought of her. It wasn't like he had tried to do something inappropriate with her – he would never dream of behaving in such a manner towards a lady. Sally was supposed to be so caring and understanding, but what kind of a leader could treat another person so inconsiderately and think nothing of it? How could he love someone like that? How on Mobius could he have been so deluded? He wanted someone who would treat him with the same genuine respect and love that he would shower her with.

Rotor had never imparted any of his knowledge onto Antoine in order to broaden his skills, having no patience with trying to teach him anything. Sonic constantly complained about Antoine's lack of courage and how sheltered he was, and yet he had barely ever bothered to lift a finger to help him in those areas. On the rare occasion when Sonic actually had tried to help him train, like Rotor, he had quickly lost his temper with Antoine and started screaming insults at him and telling him that he would never be a real Freedom Fighter.

They all had the tendency to talk down to him as though he was either a pup or mentally deficient. If they really found his manner of speech so grating, then why had none of them ever made the effort to help him improve his English? Why was it that even when he actually succeeded in doing something right or helpful for a change, they either absolutely refused to acknowledge it or gave the credit to someone else instead? He had always been devoted to them and their unified goal of deposing Robotnik, but none of them would ever care about him in return.

Antoine didn't want to believe that sweet, true-hearted Bunnie loathed him like the other Knothole Freedom Fighters did. After all, she spoke to him like a friend, and almost always had a cheerful greeting for him whenever they ran into each other - but he knew that he had annoyed her on a couple of occasions as well with his childish behavior. Was her friendship with Sally and the rest of the team stronger, and she had never really considered him to be that much of a friend to begin with, but just someone she had to be nice to? Had he been misleading himself about their friendship? Even worse, his attitude had blinded him to his own faults and had served to steadily widen the gap between him and the others over the years.

Antoine's head was beginning to really hurt. He didn't think he ever wanted to return to Knothole again. As he sat there motionless, staring at the floor and wishing for a bottomless pit to suddenly open up and swallow him, his eyes happened to drift up to the wall in front of you. The light cast by his torch, which had been knocked from his hands during his confrontation with Sonic and now lay discarded on the ground, threw Rotor's shadow up on the wall. As Antoine watched, the familiar bulky, short-legged shape seemed to strangely stretch and elongate right before his eyes, becoming taller and sleeker. Suddenly realizing that what he was viewing wasn't just a simple trick of the light, Antoine spun around to find a bizarre-looking being leering at him.

At first glance, the being resembled a large Mobian wolf, with two-toned fur that came in separate shades of medium and light brown. However, its arms were grotesquely long, and ended in long, black, curved claws tipping the long fingers on his hands. A necklace made from the teeth of some unfortunate beast adorned his neck. Some sort of animal pelt, rusty red in color, was draped around his broad shoulders and covered his back, with the forearms wrapped around his neck and the lifeless head resting atop the wolf's own, the yellow glass eyes catching the torchlight and twinkling in a decidedly unsettling way. Sally, Sonic, and Rotor seemed to have disappeared altogether.

"Where are they? Who – what are you?" Antoine asked, warily backing away from the stranger.

"Fool, they were never here in the first place," The freakish wolf harshly growled in a strange voice that all at once sounded like a mausoleum being opened and the death rattle of some dying creature. "It was only I. I am known in these parts as the Skinwalker. I must thank you for that delicious meal of sorrow and fear. I have not feasted so well in such a long time." Bringing his hands together, the Skinwalker performed a mocking bow towards Antoine.

Antoine gasped. "You were creating all of that?"

The Skinwalker grinned broadly, his toothy smile stretching from ear to ear. The sight of his long yellowed fangs caused Antoine to gulp. "With your help. I merely tapped into your mind and drew upon what I found there. It's been too long since I last had the opportunity to feast on canine," Dropping his head slightly, he pretended to sigh in woe. "The wolves are smarter and too hard to catch these days. But you'll do quite nicely. Don't worry, you don't need to be sad about not having any friends. In fact, you won't have to worry about anything ever again..."

The Skinwalker suddenly lunged for him, claws outstretched and ready to make a quick kill, but Antoine's hand was already around the hilt of his sabre. In one swift motion, he drew the blade and slashed out at the sorcerer.

The Skinwalker recoiled with a pained roar, clutching his now bleeding right arm. He glared nastily at Antoine. "Oh, so _now_ you decide you want to act brave."

Antoine's only response to the taunt was a decidedly un-Antoine-like growl, pointing his sabre at the Skinwalker. The revelation that this monstrosity had invaded his mind and put him through all of that suffering just so he could use Antoine like a battery or something was beyond vile. He was livid enough to kill this thing.

The Skinwalker methodically circled around Antoine, then rushed in for another attack. Antoine thrust the sabre at him, intending to run him through, but this time, the Skinwalker was agile enough to dance out of the sword's path. He was laughing, much to Antoine's mounting rage. He didn't realize that the Skinwalker was just toying with him, feinting as he tried to find an opening to launch a real attack, until it was too late. Bypassing Antoine's defenses, the Skinwalker took a swing at his head with one massive hand. Antoine went sailing across the grotto to crash right into the wall and fall to the ground. He struggled to rise from where he had landed, but pain racked his whole body. His head felt the worst – it was like he had been struck with a sledgehammer. He had never been hit that hard before in his life, and was seeing stars.

Antoine's sabre had flown out of his grasp and landed well out of his reach. Before he could go retrieve it, the Skinwalker had stomped over to him.

"On your feet, pup!" He snarled, roughly grabbing Antoine by his collar and hoisting him up so that he was looking him squarely in the face.

Antoine clawed and beat at the hand dangling him in the air, but the Skinwalker's grip was like a vice. Finally, he did the only other thing that he could think of: he bit down on the Skinwalker's hand as hard as he could. Antoine may not have possessed the impressive fangs of a wolf like Lupe or Canus, but his teeth were still quite sharp.

Shrieking in rage and pain, the monstrous wolf struggled to dislodge Antoine, but he refused to relinquish his grip on the Skinwalker's vile-tasting hand. Finally, the sickening sound of flesh and fur being torn could be heard as the Skinwalker tossed his smaller opponent away.

This time, Antoine was fortunate enough to only go skidding across the cold ground. Stunned, he could only lay there for a moment. As hard as the floor of the grotto was, he didn't think he could take being slammed into the wall for a second time.

"Antoine!"

Antoine painfully sat up to see Luna and Seff race into the cavern, armed with their spears. Upon seeing the Skinwalker, they stopped dead in their tracks.

The Skinwalker's pale yellow eyes gleamed diabolically as his gaze traveled from Antoine over to the frightened siblings and then back to Antoine. He cackled. "After I kill you, I think I'll play with your little friends. How does that strike you?"

'_No!'_ Antoine screamed in his mind. He would not allow this monster to lay one claw on Luna and Seff if he could help it!

As the Skinwalker ran towards him in a startling burst of speed, Antoine's eyes darted desperately around the grotto. He hoped to find a rock or something, _anything_ to fight with. His eyes landed on his trusty sabre, lying only a few feet away. Scurrying towards it, he grabbed the sword and held it out in front of him with both hands. Just as the Skinwalker was nearly on top of him, he stabbed upwards with all his might.

The momentum of the Skinwalker's charge drove the sabre deep into his abdomen. He could only stare at Antoine in surprise before limply slumping forward. Unable to support the Skinwalker's much heavier weight, Antoine hastily maneuvered himself from under the body, allowing it to fall heavily to the ground. Breathing heavily, he found that he couldn't tear his eyes away from the dead sorcerer. "Is… is he being dead?"

Luna and Seff hadn't moved, both still very much petrified with fear. After a moment though, Luna managed to recover her wits sufficiently enough to speak. "I-I think so." She stared at the Skinwalker just to make certain, but didn't dare come any closer to his body to ascertain if she was correct or not.

As they stared at the Skinwalker's prone form, something strange started happening. The corpse actually began to crumble away before their shocked eyes, beginning with the Skinwalker's feet and head. Soon, there was nothing left of him but a pile of grayish-brown dust.

In the aftermath of that strange event, it felt as though some horrible curse had been lifted and everyone could finally move again. Concerned, Luna and Seff hurried over to Antoine. He was dirty from being flung around the grotto like a ragdoll, his collar was ripped, and he could already feel large, angry bruises forming underneath his fur. He had also suffered several bad cuts, scratches, and scrapes, mainly on his legs and hands. His nose pad throbbed painfully as a result of an abrasion he had received from being thrown to the ground.

Before, Antoine would have been bemoaning his "poor beautiful nose" and whether or not his looks were permanently ruined, but in retrospect, none of those things seemed important to him anymore. In spite of the pain he was in, he even had to laugh a little at the thought of worrying over a scratch so much, bewildering Luna and Seff. Leaning over to his sister, Seff whispered, "I think he's hysterical again."

His comment didn't escape Antoine's ears. "No, I am not." He calmly replied, though he decided not to share the reason behind his laughter. They probably wouldn't have found it as amusing as he did. Suddenly becoming conscious of a revolting taste in his mouth, he wrinkled his muzzle in revulsion and spat furiously, trying to rid his mouth of the rancid taste of the Skinwalker's blood and fur.

Satisfied that Antoine didn't appear to be seriously injured, Seff gave him a lopsided grin. "Wow… You look terrible."

Shakily, Antoine returned his grin before growing serious. "Are the two of you being alright?"

"We're fine," Luna affirmed. "We heard strange noises and your voice coming through the tunnels to where we were and saw that you were gone, so we tracked you down." Without any warning, she practically threw herself at Antoine and embraced him tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay! You wouldn't believe how scared I was! I actually thought you were -"

"Ouch! Please be careful, _demoiselle_!" Antoine said, grimacing.

"Sorry!" Releasing her hold on him, Luna stepped away, embarrassed by her outburst and feeling guilty for having hurt Antoine (even though it was entirely unintentional). "Um… Why don't we go -"

She stopped in mid-sentence, interrupted by what sounded like the cracking of stone. The noise caused the three to give a start and look around the area in dread, expecting to see another horror or even the Skinwalker himself somehow returned from the dead.

As it turned out though, the cracking noise was emanating from the strange boulder that stood in the middle of the chamber. It actually appeared to be in the process of breaking apart. Bright rays of golden light seeped out of the spidery fractures that had formed along its rough surface and still continued to develop at an alarming rate.

Antoine, Luna, and Seff retreated several steps away from the strange sight, prepared to flee if necessary. The massive rock abruptly imploded in an intense flash of gold light. Pieces of stone were sent flying in every direction, and the three friends shielded their eyes so as to protect them from both the debris and the brilliant light. When the dust had settled and the bright light had dimmed, their ears picked up the sound of the beating of wings overhead. They looked up to see a feral bird strongly resembling an osprey or some other similar species of raptor in appearance flapping its great wings to remain aloft in the air. Its wing beats were powerful enough to stir up a small breeze.

The bird hovered for a moment longer before finally landing. It smoothly swiveled its sleek head to and fro, studying the two youths and then Antoine with fierce golden eyes. Right away it was clear that this was no ordinary avian. It stood at least as tall as Tails did, if not a few inches taller, and was covered in deep sky blue plumage, save for jagged dark silvery-gray stripes streaking outwards from the corners of its eyes, white flashes along its wings, and white-tipped tail feathers.

"Greetings. I am known as the Thunderbird," The bird said in a voice that was strong, clear, and feminine. Luna and Seff could only gawk in disbelief as the Thunderbird went onto address a surprised Antoine directly. "I thank you for freeing me from the Skinwalker's spell."

"Spell?" Antoine echoed.

"Long ago, I was imprisoned in this place by the Skinwalker's foul magic. Even with all my power I could not escape. When you killed him, his power was broken and I was able to free myself. For your help, I now must grant you a boon."

Antoine didn't immediately answer. He couldn't even begin to settle on what he should request of the Thunderbird. A hundred ideas seemed to run through his mind all at once. He recalled one legend about a squire who freed a phoenix whose wing was trapped beneath a broken tree branch, and how the magical bird had rewarded the youth by leading him to a cave that was filled with all manner of treasure. Antoine shook his head. No, he knew he didn't want treasure or anything like that.

Apparently however, he didn't need to say anything. The Thunderbird carefully sized him up before nodding knowingly to herself as though confirming something. "I see that you seek to become a great warrior, so I will grant you the power needed to succeed in your quest."

Slightly unfolding one wing, the bird lowered her head, and using her beak, swiftly plucked a long feather from the appendage. Gripping the wing feather in her beak, she approached Antoine and thrust her head out towards him, indicating that he should take the feather.

Antoine accepted the offering, wondering what he would do with a feather. As he studied it, the feather unexpectedly dispersed into numerous tiny, ethereal, silvery beads as if it were as insubstantial as a soap bubble. Before his amazed eyes, the beads dissolved in his hands, actually absorbing their way into his fur and then his flesh. But rather than be alarmed by this development as he normally would have been, he instead studied himself in pure wonderment as thin veins of bright silver light could be seen flowing through his hands and then his arms before fading away.

Hearing a shuffling sound, Antoine's attention was drawn back to the Thunderbird, who was closely watching him. "You must make certain to train in the usage of your new abilities. Having power and not understanding how to properly wield it can be perilous for yourself and others," She advised. "Learn how to control your new power - or it will control you."

The Thunderbird's gaze swept around the grotto once more before she bowed her head to the trio. "Farewell." Closing her eyes, the Thunderbird fell silent and still. After several minutes, the great bird's form started to disappear, leaving in her place a gust of wind that whipped wildly about the cavern. She blew away the Skinwalker's remains, dispersing the dust before coming to wind around Antoine, Luna, and Seff, ruffling their fur and clothing in a final departing gesture before leaving, the fierce cry of a raptor echoing through the tunnels in her wake.

All was silent until Seff spoke up. "Well, I don't know about anybody else, but I don't think I'll be able to go back to sleep after all that."

Luna looked to Antoine, curiosity in her eyes. "How do you feel?"

Antoine was still staring off in the direction the Thunderbird had gone, a dazed expression etched on his face. He felt like he was dreaming, standing outside his own body and watching these strange, magical events transpire. Luna's addressing him bought him back to the present, and he considered her question. Slowly he flexed his fingers. Aside from a mild tingling in his extremities, he felt fine, which was odd, considering that he had just been in a life-and-death struggle against a shapeshifting wizard. His injuries didn't even hurt anymore. He wondered just what sort of powers he was supposed to possess now, and when they would make their presence known. He knew he should have asked the Thunderbird, but he had been so stupefied the question hadn't even crossed his mind until now.

On second thought… he was better than fine. It wasn't quite the same feeling he had had on the two occasions before when Stormblaze had healed him. For one thing, he still retained his injuries, but the pain was dulled to such an extent that it was like they were no longer even there. He also felt much more alert and energetic then before, like he had just finished consuming a great deal of caffeine.

"Like…" Antoine tried to think of an English expression that fit his situation. "A million trucks."

Baffled, Luna and Seff traded a glance between themselves, then looked back at Antoine. "Uh… is that good?" Seff asked, obviously not understanding what Antoine meant.

"Better than good!"Antoine said with a laugh, rushing over to enthusiastically dance with the siblings, who couldn't help but laugh along with him as they shared his excitement and joy.

Seff suddenly stopped, adopting that same serious look that Antoine had seen on his face earlier when they had been about to cross over the bridge (Antoine still wasn't used to seeing him act like that). "Look, Antoine. since you saved our lives for a second time now, that means Luna and me are officially in your debt from here on out."

"Whenever you need help or somebody to fight by your side, you can call on us." Luna added, sincerity clear in her voice.

"Oh, uh…" Antoine was about to tell them that they didn't need to feel like they owed him something, but both youngsters wore such earnest, sober looks on their faces that he just didn't have the heart to. Plus, he doubted either would take no for an answer anyways. "_Merci, mon amis_."

"Come on. We may not be able to eat yet, but we can try to patch you up." Luna offered.

Smiling, Antoine allowed Seff and Luna to help him walk back to their campsite.

**Author's notes: **I fear this chapter may have offended some fans of Sonic, Sally, and Rotor, so in case it has, I would like to apologize. My intentions are not to bash them, as I despise character bashing. I will certainly not deny that Rotor, Sally, and Sonic all do have their good points. But while Antoine could be pretty annoying at times to deal with, I also believe that most of the other Freedom Fighters didn't exactly treat him very well much of the time either (Sonic especially), or really even attempted to help him with his problems. Sorry guys, but two wrongs don't make a right.

Secondly, a good team should be willing to support each and every one of its members, not just the ones with cool powers or their best friends or whatever. How could Sally and co. expect Antoine to improve as both a Freedom Fighter and a person if their solution was to just ignore/or mistreat him? Those are the major messages that I really wanted to get across to readers with this chapter.

On another note, Antoine's rebuttal to 'Sally' during their discussion about her and Sonic being made for each another wasn't meant as a personal attack on the Sonic/Sally pairing or those who like it, so please don't take it as such. So why did I choose to have Antoine say all of that to her? Well, let's be honest here: if there was somebody you were crushing on and people kept on talking about how she or he and another person would make a good couple, you'd probably get a little tired of hearing it too.

Translations:

Amour: Love.

Mère: Mother.

S'il vous plaît, va disparaître: Please, just go away.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

The camp of the Wolf Pack was coming to life with activity. That day, there was to be a great feast held in honor of Luna and Seff and their new statuses among the pack as adults. Canus was already beginning preparations for the food that was to be served, and had wrangled Reynard into assisting him. Had Lupe's husband Lobo, the elders, and the cubs who comprised the rest of the pack been present, then the feast would have been a slightly more elaborate and boisterous affair, with double the revelers and double the food. Still though, the Wolf Pack was determined to make the most of the situation and give their newest warriors the best celebration ever.

Placed in charge of bringing back a kill by Lupe, Leeta and Lyco were preparing for their upcoming hunt. Presently, they could be found together outside their tipis, making sure that their weapons were in top-notch condition. Leeta was examining the blade of a large hunting knife for any nicks or other imperfections. In addition to the lance, she also favored knives, a number of which she usually carried around on her person in the off-chance that she would either need to fight or hunt.

"Do you think Antoine's keeping an eye on those cubs?" She asked Lyco, who was busy sharpening one of her own hunting knives.

Lyco gave a none-too-ladylike snort in response. "They're probably the ones having to keep an eye on _him_."

Leeta nodded. "He's crazy. There's no doubt about it now." She matter-of-factly said.

"Well, the way Edward explained it, Antoine ran off with them because he wants other Mobians to start taking him more seriously, and thought the Spirit Quest would give him that opportunity. Truthfully, I feel sorry for the guy. Poor thing can't fight and jumps at shadows. Can you imagine what that must be like, having to live like that day in and day out?" Lyco gave a shake of her braided head at the very idea. Had Antoine been born a wolf, then he probably would have been even more of an outcast then he already was. Lupine culture extolled strength and daring, after all.

When they were satisfied with the condition of their weaponry, the sisters took their leave of camp, continuing to discuss the Antoine situation all the while.

"He just needs to find some sort of role where he doesn't have to do any fighting at all." Lyco was saying.

"I feel bad Antoine lives like that too, but he needs to learn that he can't just take off whenever the mood strikes him," Leeta said. "If I had done something that reckless when I was his age, Lupe _and_ our parents would've had my tail."

Lyco couldn't disagree with that. "Well, when he drags his tail back here, he's going to learn that lesson real quick." They both were well-aware of the fact that Lupe was quite upset over this incident, as was Edward. Leeta and Lyco didn't have any idea of what might happen to Antoine when he returned with Luna and Seff, but figured that it wasn't going to be pretty.

They hadn't gotten far when the sound of wing beats and alarmed chirps coming from somewhere ahead of them caught their attention. Something or someone had just startled a flock of aervwingers. Immediately, the twins stopped moving and fell silent, trying to discern what was behind the disturbance. Lyco, whose keen eyesight was renowned among the Wolf Pack, tried to see what it was, and was the first to notice them.

"Look!" Grabbing Leeta by the arm, Lyco pointed to something further down the trail from them. Straining to see for herself, Leeta managed to pick out the forms of Luna, Seff, and Antoine walking towards them.

When Luna spotted the older wolves, she let out a happy squeal and ran forward to embrace each of them, a gesture Leeta and Lyco happily returned. Antoine and Seff maintained their original paces, neither wanting to appear as emotional as Luna. When they finally did catch up with the three females, Seff still put on a show of trying to remain cool and stoic as Leeta and Lyco went on to shower him with attention, but it was apparent to anyone who was watching that he was basking in their affection and was as happy to be reunited with them as Luna was.

Leeta looked between Seff and Luna, beaming brightly as she did. "You two did it! We're so proud of you!" From the time that Luna and Seff had joined the Wolf Pack, she and Lyco had grown exceptionally fond of the cubs, and both were glad they had finally been able to experience such an important milestone in their lives. The twins were well-aware of the fact that Luna and Seff desired to take more active roles among the pack.

Antoine was unable to resist smiling at the scene. It felt good to see his friends happy. While he wasn't as fearful of the Wolf Pack as he once was, he didn't try to involve himself in the four's reunion. He wasn't a member of their pack, and therefore felt like he would have been interrupting the moment if he had tried to join in. He was taken off-guard when Lyco came over and gave him a hug of all things.

"We're glad you're alright too." She told him, breaking off the embrace.

Antoine could feel his face heating up. He really wanted to thank Lyco for actually being concerned about him, but it seemed as though his brain had stalled on him like a malfunctioning airplane engine. The only thing he was able to do was chuckle nervously and rake his fingers through his headfur, looking anywhere but where Lyco was standing.

Without warning, Lyco's warm expression shifted into a livid scowl, and she punched Antoine right in the forearm, snapping him out of his sudden bout of awkward shyness.

"Ouch!" Antoine yelped, rubbing the spot on his arm where he had been hit. It hadn't really hurt (too much), but like the hug, he hadn't been expecting it either.

"What in the name of Fenrir did you think you were doing, running off like that?" Lyco shouted at him.

Leeta looked about as incensed as her sister did. "He wasn't thinking! Just like a male!"

"Did you ever stop to think about how worried we were about you?" Lyco continued heatedly. "Not to mention the fact that you broke Pack Law!"

Antoine quickly backed away just in case either of the girls wanted to take another swing at him, putting his hands out in front of himself as if to say "Calm down!" Suddenly he found himself thinking that an irate Leeta and Lyco were scarier than a dozen Diablos. "_Mademoiselles_, please! I-I was not meaning any harm!"

By this time, the commotion had drawn the attention of Canus, Reynard, and Diablo. They hurried over to the scene just in time to see Luna place herself between Antoine and the upset twins, standing protectively in front of the coydog. "Wait! Don't be mad at him!"

"Yeah!" Seff chimed in, although he allowed Luna to stand slightly ahead of him – he had seen Leeta and Lyco upset before and didn't really want to be near either of them when they were in such a state. "He saved us from the Skinwalker!"

Those six words caused Leeta and Lyco's anger to melt away and be replaced by astonishment. The pair, as well as Canus, Reynard, and Diablo, who were similarly flabbergasted, simultaneously turned their eyes towards Antoine.

"_You_ saved them?" Diablo incredulously asked.

Antoine stepped around Luna and Seff, looking around at the assembled wolves. Raising a closed hand to his mouth, he cleared his throat and prepared to address them. For the briefest of moments, the temptation to launch into some vainglorious yarn to wow the older Mobians tugged strongly at him (after all, impressing them had been one of his intentions earlier when he had snuck away on the Spirit Quest), but he swiftly excised the idea from his thoughts. His experience in the Cave of Shadows had driven home the point that Stormblaze was trying to make earlier before they had joined forces - no one liked a braggart. He would never make the mistake of trying to make himself sound better then what he really was ever again. So he simply replied, "Well, yes."

The twins hadn't taken their eyes off Antoine since Luna and Seff's announcement. Neither could comprehend how this blustering, jittery little canine had succeeded in slaying a dreaded sorcerer who had bedeviled both the wolves and the locals here for ages. Both spoke in the same instant. "How'd you do it?" Lyco demanded as Leeta questioned, "What happened?"

"Huh?" Antoine looked between the pair. Lyco and Leeta addressing him at the same time threw him off a bit.

"They asked how did you kill the Skinwalker." Canus clarified.

"Oh! Um, well, it was not being easy. I was lucky to be cutting his arm with _mon_ sabre when he first attacked _moi _– er, me. But then he threw me around the cave, and there were several times when I was thinking I was being doomed. Luna and Seff were coming into the chamber just then, and the Skinwalker saw them. He was going to attack them, but went for me first. I was stopping him by stabbing him in the stomach."

The five wolves marveled at his story, exchanging glances among themselves. Indeed, it did appear as though Antoine had been in a fight.

Reynard was the first to speak. "Well done, Antoine! We didn't think you had it in you!" He exclaimed, clapping Antoine on the shoulder and nearly toppling him in his enthusiasm. Acting fast, Reynard quickly grabbed Antoine before he fell. "Oops! Sorry about that."

As Antoine rubbed his shoulder, musing that he had been fortunate to survive a battle against the Skinwalker only to return and be manhandled by the Wolf Pack, Lyco and Leeta approached him.

"You need to have those injuries of your's tended to, you know." Lyco pointed out.

"Do not be fretting about _moi_, ladies." Antoine insisted, drawing himself up and putting on an air of nonchalance. However, a squeak of pain escaped him when Leeta laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, stop being so stubborn," Leeta lightly scolded. "You're acting about as silly as Diablo does whenever he gets a little cut or something. You don't want to get an infection now, do you?" She and Lyco smiled sweetly at him.

"An infection?" Antoine echoed. Somehow that frightening possibility had slipped his mind. Gingerly, he felt his forehead. "Now that I am thinking about it, I am feeling the smallest bit feverish…"

Bemused by the sudden change in Antoine's demeanor, the twin sisters looked quizzically at one another before Lyco rolled her eyes at Antoine's melodramatics. _'I guess some things never change.'_ She thought, she and Leeta attempting to bite back their laughter.

Seff couldn't resist snickering at the scene either, but for a different reason. He found it humorous that only minutes ago Lyco and Leeta were acting like they had wanted to kill Antoine, but were now offering to patch him up. _'Females are strange creatures.'_ he thought.

Everyone gathered failed to notice that someone else was coming to see what was going on. Only Seff happened to take notice. His amused grin immediately disappeared, and he stepped away from Antoine, tucking his tail between his legs and pinning his ears back.

Seeing that something had disturbed Seff, Luna followed his gaze to discover what the cause was. Upon seeing it for herself, she became similarly subdued. The rest of the pack quickly fell silent, and all eyes avoided Antoine. Wondering what the problem was, Antoine got his answer when he turned around to look for himself.

Lupe was standing behind him, her arms crossed as she stared down at him. Antoine practically wilted under her flinty gaze.

"Antoine, come with me. _Now_." She growled before stalking off, not bothering to see if he was following. With a nervous gulp, Antoine tried not to look at the other wolves as he slunk off after her.

As they walked together in silence, Lupe led Antoine over to where the tipis were and to one in particular that was positioned in the center of the bunch. He surmised that it must have belonged to Lupe. He watched the she-wolf push aside the flaps covering the tipi's entrance and duck inside. Hurriedly he followed suit and sat down on the floor, next to the entrance. Lupe was seated across from him Indian-style, scowling angrily and refusing to look his way.

Although Antoine knew he was in serious trouble, he couldn't resist taking a quick look around, having never been inside a tipi before. The interior, though not especially large, was surprisingly cozy, with the floor being covered by skins and soft furs. A sliver of sky could be glimpsed through a small opening that was situated at the crown of the tipi.

Finally, Antoine managed to work up a tiny shred of courage to address Lupe, although he found that his voice trembled as he did. "Um, _mademoiselle_? May I just firstly say this was being my idea and mine's alone? So there is being no need to punish Luna and Seff."

Lupe didn't respond, only continuing to stare furiously ahead instead. Antoine fidgeted uneasily. The oppressive silence in here was terrible. He had feared getting an angry lecture, but this was turning out to be far worse. How long was this going to last?

At last, after what had seemed like an agonizingly long time to Antoine, though in actuality only eight minutes had gone by, Lupe spoke. In contrast to the sharp tone of voice she had used to order him to come with her, she didn't sound angry, surprisingly enough. But there was no mistaking the disappointment that saturated her tone. "If you were my son, you would be peeling prairie turnips and washing the entire pack's clothing for eight months straight for your disobedience." After a pause, she demanded, "Were you just lying when you said that you understood my orders not to go?"

The possibility that his stunt might have very well caused Lupe to lose trust in him after she had helped him so much hadn't crossed Antoine's mind until now, and he felt extremely remorseful. "No. I… I was trying to go to sleep when you told me to. I really was. I guess _mes_ going on the Spirit Quest was being a final minute decision. I am very sorry for not doing the listening to you, _mademoiselle_. I have no excuse." Ears drooping, he lowered his head, the very picture of misery.

"I understand how much you desire for others to view you in a different light Antoine, but if you wish to become a better warrior, you cannot be so impulsive," Lupe chided, adjusting her position so that she was directly facing him. "Impulsiveness is what gets good Mobians killed. You must realize that your actions always have consequences. If you don't learn how to exercise better self-control, then you may end up making a mistake that cannot be easily repaired."

Antoine kept his eyes on the floor. "Is there anything I can be doing to earn your trust again?"

Lupe's expression softened slightly. "I have made far more foolish mistakes in my own youth, so I do not hold any ill will against you. Though I will say that I am disappointed you chose not to listen to me."

Lupe grew quiet as she scrutinized him more closely. Antoine averted his gaze from her own, wondering just how atrocious he must have looked right then and if she was disapproving of his dirty, scruffy appearance, but instead she suddenly said, "There's something different about you."

Forgetting all about species etiquette for the moment, Antoine stared at Lupe. "There is? What?"

"I think it's something about your eyes."

His eyes? Had they been somehow altered when the Thunderbird had granted him his powers, he wondered? But Lupe didn't go into the subject any further. "There have not been many outsiders who have ventured into the Cave of Shadows before and come out alive. What did you see while you were there?"

"I was… the Skinwalker, he…" Antoine attempted to say, but the memories coming back to him made his throat feel as though it were constricting, and tears began stinging at his eyes. The nightmare he had witnessed back in the cave had illuminated some vital truths to him, and he was thankful for that, but that didn't make the truth any less hurtful.

Seeing how distressed Antoine was becoming, Lupe decided not to press the matter. "There now, it's alright," She soothed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You must be hungry, and I imagine you wish to clean yourself up. But go see Lyco first. I believe she was about to attend to your injuries before I summoned you here."

Antoine took a deep breath before answering her, trying to get his emotions under control. "_Merci_, _mademoiselle_. Again, I am being very sorry." Standing, he respectfully saluted the chieftain and departed the tipi.

Antoine wasn't sure if he would do everything all over again if he was given an opportunity to do so. While on one hand he was overjoyed at both realizing that he could be just as brave as his heroes, like his father, Sir Aleron, and Sir Connery, as well as actually being rewarded with powers of his very own, he hated the fact that he had disappointed Lupe. But if he hadn't gone with them, then would Seff and Luna still have come through their Spirit Quest unscathed and alive? Plus, if he had stayed behind, then he would have still been ignorant to the ugly truth about his relationship with the other Knothole Freedom Fighters. He knew that he was wrong to ignore Lupe's orders, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt he had done the right thing by accompanying Luna and Seff.

These thoughts weighed heavily on Antoine's mind as he made his way to a stream that was close by the campsite which supplied the wolves with their fresh water. So preoccupied was he that he failed to notice Stormblaze waiting near Lupe's tent until he hailed Antoine. Stopping to wait for Stormblaze, Antoine wondered how long he had been there.

"Were you evening dropping?" The coydog asked a trifle suspiciously as Stormblaze trotted up to him.

Although Antoine had bungled the word, Stormblaze knew what he really meant to say, and was rather offended by the allegation. "Eavesdropping, you mean. And most certainly not! I was waiting for you to come out, actually. The Wolf Pack informed me that you had finally returned."

"Oh. Sorry." Antoine muttered, despondence returning to his voice. The last thing he wanted was to have Stormblaze upset with him. "Are you going to be scolding _moi_ too?"

"No…" Stormblaze shook his head, then brusquely went onto say, "Lupe has already done that I believe, so I will not waste breath in telling you how thoughtless you were in defying her orders. Or how your impromptu side-journey has devoured precious time that could have been spent traveling to Sierra Verde, or that you could have been seriously hurt or even killed out there."

Antoine cringed at what he thought was the start of another round of chastisement, but Stormblaze suddenly rested a hand on his shoulder. His expression was softer then it had been a second ago as he looked down at Antoine. "Besides, I heard that you have been through much."

"Do not worry about _moi_. I am being fine." Antoine lightly replied, waving Stormblaze's concern off. But he didn't think his words sounded very convincing, and knew that Stormblaze could tell he wasn't fine at all. Thankfully however, Stormblaze choose not to question him about it. Antoine liked how Stormblaze wouldn't pressure him into sharing his thoughts when he didn't feel like it. It was one of several reasons why he enjoyed spending time in Stormblaze's company.

Antoine glanced up at him again. "Um, Stormblaze? I would like to be thanking you."

The unicorn's ears swiveled forward questioningly. "Thank me? Whatever for?"

"Just… Just for caring about _moi_. Since we have begun traveling together, I have been learning so much from you, and you… well, you are actually listening to _moi_, and treating me like a real person with real feelings. I am not afraid when you are around."

Stormblaze was plainly embarrassed by Antoine's heartfelt admission. Coughing, he awkwardly shuffled his hooves around in the dirt. Being males, neither was especially used to putting their emotions out there so openly. It was something that their respective societies tended to strongly discourage, especially among the warrior class. It was something more accepted from the fairer sex.

Finally, Stormblaze replied in a strained, odd-sounding voice that made Antoine wonder if he was actually on the verge of crying, "Come now, you're getting sentimental on me, you little duffer." Affectionately cuffing Antoine, he smiled warmly and said in a more normal but slightly quieter tone, "But you need not thank me. I have been traveling by myself for three long years now, so I have likewise enjoyed your company on this venture."

"You have? Even though I have been causing all of this trouble? I am knowing that most Mobians like Sally and Bunnie let me think I was being their _mon ami_ just to be nice to _moi_. I am used to it by now."

"Maybe other Mobians pretend to tolerate one another, but an honorable unicorn would never engage in such a dishonest act. If we say someone is our friend, then we truly mean it." Stormblaze resolutely said.

The mismatched pair watched in companionable silence as the sun continued to rise, appreciating the view as well as each other's company. While Stormblaze did like the Wolf Pack (well, with the exception of Diablo) for their down-to-earth personalities, not having his fellow misfit around for the entirety of the previous day had just felt off to him. Antoine of course had found himself missing Stormblaze, even though Luna and Seff were generally fun to be around. His experience in the Cave of Shadows made him recognize just how important Stormblaze's camaraderie and support really was to him. He was truly grateful that there was finally another Mobian around who he knew he could call his friend and know that to be the truth.

"Well, I suppose I will be going to clean myself up…" Antoine finally said, turning to leave.

Stormblaze nodded. "Of course, of course… oh, before you run off, I could, um..." He indicated the scratch on Antoine's nose with a wave of his hand.

Antoine's eyes crossed in a rather comedic fashion as he tried to see just what was wrong with his nose before realizing that Stormblaze was offering to heal his wounds. Antoine had almost forgotten about how battered he was. The Thunderbird's magic had effectively deadened the pain before, but Stormblaze's reminder seemed to bring it rushing back with a vengeance. Perhaps there was a limit on the length of time the Thunderbird's magic acted like an anesthetic. Antoine knew he would be sore all over tomorrow.

Trying not to pay any attention to the pain he was in, Antoine made himself offhandedly reply, "Oh, that is being alright. I was actually on _mon_ way to see _mademoiselle_ Lyco about it."

Stormblaze quirked an eyebrow, and a devilish grin spread across his muzzle. "Miss Lyco, eh? Would this be because she's a skilled healer, or because of the fact she wears clothing that shows off quite a bit of leg?"

If Antoine was capable of blushing, then his face would have turned a bright shade of red at that comment. "R-really, you are being i-i-imporridge – incorrigible!" He exclaimed, embarrassment causing his notorious stammer to return.

Stormblaze laughed. "It's what my instructors said I do best." He pretended to think, stroking his chin and turning his eyes skywards. "Perhaps I should start prancing about in such garb…"

"I was not needing that picture," Antoine grimaced, but wound up having to laugh himself at the bizarre mental image of Stormblaze in a leotard. "Please be keeping your tunic on."

The next day, once he had awakened and dressed himself, Antoine borrowed a hand-held mirror from Leeta. Now he sat out of view behind one of the tipis, the mirror in hand as he studied himself in it. Lupe's comment from yesterday concerning his eyes still echoed through his mind. He didn't exactly know what he had been expecting to see, but nothing about him looked any different from before, including his eyes. Outwardly, he was still just the same old Antoine. Maybe Lupe's statement had some deeper meaning behind it or something, he mused.

Today, he and Stormblaze were preparing to leave the Wolf Pack's camp to continue their quest. Stormblaze was up, and by now, probably ready to leave. Antoine was somewhat surprised that the unicorn hadn't slept in later, considering how much he had eaten and drunk during last night's celebration that had not only been held in honor of Seff and Luna, but also for Antoine's defeat of the Skinwalker. Luna had been correct about the other Wolf Pack members generally being willing to forgive him for tagging along on the Spirit Quest, since he had twice succeeded in saving their lives. Even Diablo, who Antoine thought would have been crying the loudest for him to be punished for breaking Pack Law, hadn't complained much. The wellbeing of their youngest pack members was far more important to the wolves then tradition.

Everyone had had a fun time at the festivities, and the jubilant mood that was in the air had even affected Antoine, who was feeling better since having his wounds tended to. In fact, he had even been bold enough to join in on the pack's dancing after observing them and figuring out how the steps went, surprising his-then dance partner Lyco as well as everyone else with his moves. Luna had been quick to steal him away from Lyco, he recalled with an amused chuckle, but he had been happy to oblige his young friend with a couple of dances. She probably would have danced with him all night if Reynard hadn't broken in and requested a dance with Luna. Truth be told, Antoine was glad for the reprieve. He could feel himself starting to tire, and wanted an opportunity to dance with Leeta (and hopefully Lyco again). Stormblaze had no interest in dancing, preferring to sit back, watch, and eat instead.

Later, sometime after the dance, Seff and Luna related the story of their Spirit Quest, with Antoine pitching in occasionally. He was thankful that they omitted certain parts, namely his descent into terrified hysterics after the Sand King attack. He didn't mention a word about what the Skinwalker had shown him, and neither did Luna and Seff, but that was only because they knew nothing about what he had seen. On their way back to camp, Luna and Seff had questioned him about why he had left in the first place. Antoine's response had been that he had heard strange noises and wanted to investigate to make sure everything was alright. It was a partial truth. He didn't want to go into further detail. He knew that he would have been asked what had transpired when he had arrived in the central chamber and found "Sally" waiting there for him. The coydog repressed a shudder at the memory.

With all the chaos and busyness of the past twenty-four hours, Antoine hadn't had time to dwell much on his battle with the Skinwalker. He recalled how infuriated he had become when the Skinwalker revealed his manipulations to him. He could not think of another instance when he had ever been as enraged as he was in that moment. His mind then went back to a conversation between Luna, Seff, and himself on the journey back to camp.

"_What was it like, killing the Skinwalker?" Seff was asking. Luna, while not especially interested in hearing any of the gorier details, was curious as to what Antoine had to say as well. _

"_What was it like?" Antoine echoed, not really knowing how he should answer that question. "I do not know… it was not something I was enjoying." He honestly replied._

_Seff was both confused and not exactly impressed by that response, as was indicated by his expression. "So… you're saying that you feel bad for killing him then?"_

_Antoine frowned. "I would not be going that far. He was going to kill you and Luna – after he was finishing killed moi. I was not about to let him do that." _

Indeed, while having to snuff out the life of another creature felt strange and unsettling to him, Antoine wasn't going to be shedding any tears for the Skinwalker anytime soon. From what the Wolf Pack had told him, the sorcerer's presence had long been a blight on the Greenbacks. They viewed his death as a blessing and had said as much.

Getting his knapsack, Antoine began making his way to the westernmost edge of the camp, carrying the mirror in his hand for safekeeping until he could return it to its owner. Since Antoine had returned, Reynard hadn't once harried him with any questions regarding what he saw in the cave, surprisingly enough. Antoine wondered if that was because Lupe had told Reynard not to bother him, or if Reynard realized that he had had a hard night and decided to give him his space.

Last night's merrymaking had helped to take Antoine's mind off darker thoughts, though they were never far from the surface. But thankfully his sleep had been deep and dreamless. When he had awakened earlier, he was quite pleased to find that the collar of his uniform, which had been torn by the Skinwalker's long claws, had been sewn up, most likely by one of the wolves (as he didn't think Stormblaze could sew). Antoine really appreciated the kind gesture. He would miss the Wolf Pack, even though he knew he would likely see them again sometime in the near future. He was thankful for the time he had spent in their company, even if it hadn't been for very long. He didn't think he would have gotten the same opportunity to become more familiar with the wolves and understand them better if the other Freedom Fighters had been there with him.

"Hey, Antoine!" An upbeat voice suddenly called out from further behind Antoine, causing his ears to perk up. He didn't need to look to know that Seff and Luna were bounding after him, and he stopped to allow them to catch up. Once they had, he resumed walking, the cubs felling into step beside him. His eyes went to the single gold circlets that now adorned Seff and Luna's respective wrists: her right and his left. Last night, Lupe had gifted the proud young wolves with the bands in front of everybody.

"_Bonjour_, _mon amies_," Antoine jovially greeted them. He would have to introduce these two to Tails, he thought. He bet Luna and Seff would take a liking to the fox, and Tails would really enjoy being able to play with cubs who were closer to him in age for a change. Antoine had become aware of the fact that Tails sometimes felt left out around Knothole Village due to being the youngest Mobian there. But then Antoine bitterly reminded himself that he would probably never see Tails again, since he believed that returning to Knothole would not be in his best interests.

Luna's questioning voice snapped Antoine out of his resentful thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Never better." Antoine smiled again at the lupine duo, who was watching him with some concern, to reassure them. He decided to quickly change the subject. "Were the two of you seeing anything in the cave last night?"

Luna and Seff shared a glance before Seff replied, "Well, before we came looking for you, we're pretty sure we did in our dreams."

Antoine immediately felt guilty for not only having awakened the siblings, but for possibly interrupting an important event that would help to determine their futures. "_Mon_ apology for interrupting your dreams."

"Aw, don't feel bad." Luna gently reassured him. "You have no idea how happy I am that we decided to get up to go look for you. What would've happened if we hadn't?"

She made a good point. If the pair hadn't barged into the chamber when they had, Antoine wondered would he still have been able to summon the strength to slay the Skinwalker.

"And it's not like the dreams made a whole lot of sense anyway." Seff said, the irritation coming through in his voice.

"What were they being about?"

"We wish we could tell you, but you're only supposed to tell the chief wolf and the pack shaman what you dreamed about." Luna explained, an apologetic expression on her face.

Antoine nodded in understanding. "Well, if there is anyone who can be helping you learn more about these dreams, then it is _mademoiselle_ Lupe. She is being one of the wisest Mobians I am knowing of."

"We're supposed to talk with her in private sometime later today and tell her what we saw in our dreams." Seff said. "Our shaman isn't here with us, but _tia's_ just as good as having one around, I think."

When the trio finally made it to the rendezvous spot, they saw that the rest of the pack as well as Stormblaze were already there. Presently, Stormblaze was being besieged by Lyco and Leeta, both of whom had their arms wrapped around him in a friendly hug.

"You must come see us again. I enjoyed beating you so easily in our archery contest!" Lyco joked.

"I would insist on another contest, bow-maiden. I maintain that the sun was in my eyes and ruined my shots." Stormblaze replied, prompting laughter from Lyco and the others.

"Here is your mirror, _mademoiselle_." Antoine politely said, handing the item back to Leeta when she had broken off her embrace with Stormblaze. "Thank you for allowing me to use it."

"No problem." The perky pink wolf flashed him a bright smile as she took her mirror back. "You know, not only are you not such a bad guy after all, but you're also a pretty good dancer. Just keep letting Edward here show you how to loosen up." Winking at him, she jerked a thumb over at Stormblaze.

Antoine had heard others saying that he needed to loosen up before, and by this point actually understood what that particular bit of slang meant. Rather than take offense however, he was just pleased to actually be receiving a compliment from one of the Wolf Pack, as was evident in his own smile. "_Merci_. I will be remembering that."

"Next time, do you think you could show us some dances from Mercia and the Acorn Kingdom?" Lyco asked him. "I've always wanted to know about the types of dances they do there."

"I would be more than happy to, _mademoiselle_." As frightening as she and her sister could be when their ire was roused, one would have to be blind not to notice how pretty Lyco and Leeta were. Antoine may have carried on like a lovesick puppy over Sally's classic kind of beauty, but he had never truly been oblivious to the attractiveness of other females. That was especially true now that he was no longer interested in winning Sally's affections. Antoine may have been stuffy and uptight, but he wasn't made of stone. Still though, he certainly didn't possess the audacity to approach Leeta or Lyco like _that_ (for one thing, he wasn't even sure if the wolves were allowed to court those outside their own kind), and figured he would just have to content himself with dances with them and admiring their loveliness from afar.

Antoine bowed low to the entire pack. "_Merci beau coup_ for everything that all of you have been doing for Edward and myself."

"Anytime, little guy." Canus chuckled, coming forward to grab Antoine and ruffle his headfur, much to the surprise and dismay of the coydog and the amusement of the others. Antoine might have changed in some ways, but he remained very much the same in certain others. In this case, he was still particular about his headfur, preferring to always keep it in its neat style. Still though, he decided it would be better to tolerate the affectionate gesture – after all, he was supposed to be making an effort to not be so stiff all the time – settling for putting up a mild protest instead. "_Monsieur_ Canus, please…"

Grinning like a mischievous cub, Canus playfully tousled Antoine's hair one last time before releasing his hold on him. Now that he was free, Antoine shot Canus a look that was equal parts annoyance and good humor as he attempted to carefully smooth his hair back into place. The next time he and the Wolf Pack crossed paths, Antoine had decided that he would spend more time with Canus, as they both shared a common interest in cooking, and he liked Canus' kindhearted and undemanding demeanor.

Seff and Luna were next. Luna was the first to reach Antoine, her hands clasped together and a shy smile on her muzzle. She was acting unusually bashful, much like she had been when she and Antoine had stood together outside the Cave of Shadows looking at the moon.

"Um, so… do you think you could teach me some of those fancy dance moves too?" She asked.

"Of course." Antoine smiled at Luna in an attempt to alleviate her timidity, but found himself wondering what had happened to the more outspoken young lady he had been conversing with earlier.

It seemed like she wanted to say something else, but Seff, tired of waiting for his sister to finish saying what she had to say, literally barged in between the pair at that moment, forcing Luna to take a step back to avoid getting knocked aside. Unaware that Luna was radiating pure irritation at having her time with Antoine interrupted, Seff flung one gangly arm around Antoine's shoulders in a chummy manner.

"So Antoine old buddy, remember what I was telling you about calling on us whenever you're in trouble? Well, if you and the other Freedom Fighters have some giant battle or something coming up, don't hesitate to send for me, okay?" He looked hopefully at Antoine, who in turn was unable to keep from grinning at Seff's eager attitude. Now that he could actually participate in battle, Seff just might see his wish come true.

"I will be keeping that in mind, _mes amie_." He simply told the wolf.

Diablo was still his old standoffish self, watching in impassive silence as Antoine and Stormblaze gave their goodbyes to his packmates. But then without hesitation, Antoine approached him and held out his hand. "_Monsieur_."

Initially Diablo could do nothing but stare, taken off-guard by Antoine's action before finally accepting his offered hand and shaking it a little awkwardly. "Antoine." He gruffly replied, nodding to the coydog.

'_It's a start'_, Antoine thought. When he got to Lupe, Antoine was prepared to formally bow to her, but to his surprise, found his wrist being firmly clasped by her hand. He had witnessed her using the same gesture before when she was either greeting or saying goodbye to Sally and Sonic. He had come to discover that it was how the wolves, and more specifically, those ones who were warriors, acknowledged one another. Each individual had to grip the other's wrist, he remembered, so he reciprocated the gesture.

Pleasantly surprised that Antoine knew what he was doing, Lupe released her hold on his arm, and placing her hands on his shoulders, leaned in to speak to him in a low tone of voice. "Your encounter with the Thunderbird was no mere coincidence. Trust in yourself, and learn how to understand and wield the power given to you." Returning her voice to a normal level, she added, "It was a pleasure to share both your and Edward's company."

"Don't be strangers!" Reynard said, enthusiastically shaking Stormblaze's hand before going over to Antoine and doing the same. "In fact Antoine, the next time we see you, maybe we'll show you some of the tricks that we use in battle."

"Really?" Antoine couldn't believe what he was hearing. He remembered accidentally overhearing Sally and a few other Freedom Fighters talking about sending Tails to go train with the Wolf Pack when he came of age. Antoine had happened to be strolling past Sally's hut and hadn't intended to listen in on her conversation with Bunnie and Tatiana, a tiger who was visiting Knothole at the time, but Sally's window had been left ajar. He was about to continue on to his own hut when he heard his own name suddenly bought up, but not in a flattering manner. Bunnie had asked the other two girls if any of the male Freedom Fighters would make good mentors for Tails. It was Tatiana who had mentioned his name, following it up with a nasty snicker. Antoine definitely knew an insult when he heard it, even a backhanded one like that, and, flushed with embarrassment, had quickly gotten as far away from Sally's hut as he could so he wouldn't hear anymore. Sally hadn't even tried to defend him or anything, which in retrospect wasn't terribly surprising. And Bunnie hadn't spoken up on his behalf either.

"I don't see why not," Lupe broke in. "If you are to become a warrior, then familiarizing yourself with different combat techniques and weaponry would serve to make you a well-rounded fighter. Not only would that benefit you, but it would be something of use to your fellow Freedom Fighters as well."

At the mention of the rest of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, Antoine's exultant demeanor wavered for a split second, but being so genuinely delighted and touched by the Wolf Pack's offer, he was quick to recover. "_Oui_. It would be a very great honor to train with all of you!" He answered brightly. The fact that the Wolf Pack had actually extended the offer to help train him without having to be asked first wasn't lost on him. It made him wish that Sally, Sonic, and all the others could be there at that very moment just so he could have seen the looks on their faces.

"Until then, I'm sure you'll be in good hands." Lupe's comment sounded casual enough, but as she said it, she shot Stormblaze a significant glance. Last night, Lupe had taken him aside and told him she wished to have Antoine stay on with them so that he could be trained by herself and the rest of the pack in how to use his new abilities. Stormnblaze explained that they could not remain in the Greenbacks any longer, choosing to reveal the truth behind his and Antoine's quest as well as his own real identity to her. He had come to decide that Lupe could be trusted with his secret. Thankfully, Lupe understood the urgency of their mission. Stormblaze had also informed her that he was already in the process of training Antoine, and would broaden the sessions and make them even more rigorous.

For his part, Stormblaze nodded in turn to the chieftain, acknowledging her unspoken thoughts. "But of course, milady," He said, bowing low in her direction. "Your gracious hospitality has been much appreciated. I am most pleased to have made your acquaintance and the acquaintances of your fellows."

Lupe exchanged the warrior's salutation with the disguised unicorn, smiling all the while. "Think nothing of it, friend."

"You seem to be quite popular with the ladies of the Wolf Pack, particularly the youngest one. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I would daresay she's taken a fancy to you." Stormblaze told Antoine, a palpable note of an amusement in his voice.

They were walking side by side down a trail that would lead them out of the Greenbacks. By then, the Wolf Pack's camp was well behind them in the distance, obscured from sight by the forest. Antoine's features contorted into a thoughtful frown. "Luna _did_ start acting very strangely around _moi_ during the Spirit Quest. I was not understanding why, but now that you are mentioning it…" Eyes rounding in his sudden realization, he buried his face in his hands with a slight groan. "Great." He liked Luna, but strictly as a friend.

"I wouldn't fret too much," Stormblaze said. "I believe we weren't the only ones to pick up on Luna's behavior. I suspect Lupe will be having a talk with her sooner or later. But at any rate, look at it this way: you've got yourself an admirer. Give the lass a couple of years. That one will be a looker when she comes of age, I think."

Antoine rolled his eyes. "That is easy for you to say. You will likely still be looking the same way you are today years from now. But for _moi_, a 'couple of years' is being too long to wait for a girl."

"Relax. Romance is not a race, even though everybody acts as though it is. It may take you a while to find the right lady, or it might happen as soon as tomorrow. Besides, would you rather rush into things and find yourself in a bad relationship?" Stormblaze could understand Antoine's impatience. For all of his seeming indifference towards romance, secretly he wouldn't have objected a bit if a desirable female happened to come along and displayed an interest in him. As soon as that thought entered Stormblaze's mind, he scolded himself for turning the situation onto himself and desiring something that would probably never happen to him.

Antoine nodded, although the expression on his face wasn't a happy one. "I am seeing what you mean. I do not like it, but I understand."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

The fact that Antoine had never appeared to display any special powers of his own to call upon like Sonic, Tails, Bunnie, Dulcy, or even Stormblaze all could had long been a source of vexation for him. To Antoine, having a power of some sort would have at least made up for his lack of talent in more mundane areas. After all, Dulcy didn't seem to have any outstanding skills and couldn't even make a proper landing whenever she came in from one of her flights, but it seemed like she was still more useful as a Freedom Fighter then he was. He believed he had had absolutely nothing to contribute to the group. But now that he finally possessed powers of his own, it felt like he could do anything.

And it was truly a great feeling.

Antoine had come to discover that his physical strength had been significantly enhanced, as had his reflexes, endurance, and agility. It was a gradual realization, a buildup of little incidents here and there – for example, he was now suddenly able to lift much more weight than he had ever been able to before. While he was certainly nowhere near as powerful as Stormblaze was in terms of strength, he was still stronger than most canines his own size and age would typically be. Another day, when Antoine wanted to get a better view of the land and scrambled up a rocky tor to do so, a curious Stormblaze had questioned him as to how he could suddenly climb so quickly. Antoine now believed that he could finally start pulling his own weight on the quest and better aid Stormblaze.

What little Stormblaze knew of what had happened to Antoine on the Spirit Quest he heard second hand from Lupe. The story he was later told by Antoine sounded more than a little bizarre in Stormblaze's own opinion, and that was coming from a unicorn who had lived on a hidden mystical island for about half of his life. Apparently, during the Spirit Quest, Antoine succeeded in slaying a creature called the Skinwalker, some sort of crazed fell sorcerer, and was granted powers by the Thunderbird, another supernatural being who the Skinwalker had trapped inside the Cave of Shadows, as a result.

After six weeks of traveling southward, they now found themselves in a new land. According to Antoine's map, it was called Carnia. Here, the landscape was low-lying, mostly dominated by wide fields, lakes, and rivers. It looked like forests had existed here before at one time, but a lot of trees had been since cut down and only a few still remained. They had also spotted a city in the distance.

"Well, I suppose this is as good a place as any to bed down for the night." Stormblaze announced, studying their surroundings. He hadn't been very keen on spending the night out on the prairie. He much preferred dense woodland, which played to a unicorn's natural talents of concealment and stealth. He thought they were fortunate to have discovered this small forest – the undergrowth wasn't thick enough to impede their movement, and the trees around them grew fairly high. There was also a water source in the vicinity, a creek, and plenty of wood to start a fire with.

"I can be getting the firewood!" Antoine volunteered, taking his knapsack off and slinging it aside.

Raising an eyebrow, Stormblaze turned to look at Antoine. "You seem even more energetic than usual." Although he knew the reason why the coydog had been acting this way lately, Stormblaze still wasn't used to seeing him so animated after a long hard day of walking. While Antoine had been growing more used to the laborious demands that the quest was placing on him, before, it still didn't take much for him to doze off once they had set up camp.

"Well, I guess you could be saying that I am feeling like a new Mobian." Antoine jauntily retorted before darting off through the trees.

Stormblaze didn't reply, instead going to work pitching the tent. As he did, his mind wandered back to the night of Antoine's disappearance. Stormblaze's instincts had warned him that Antoine was in the gravest of dangers and would not allow him a peaceful night's rest, interrupting his sleep with dark nightmares. He wanted to search for Antoine again, but knew that venturing out into unfamiliar territory would do neither him nor his friend any good. Just as Lupe had said earlier, all he could do was wait and pray that Antoine would return alive and unharmed.

When Stormblaze was finished setting the tent up, he waited for Antoine to return with the firewood so they could get started on dinner, plucking a sprig of grass to chew on as he did. After ten more minutes had passed, Antoine finally returned, bearing a large load of firewood in his arms. He was forced to keep his head tilted upwards in order to accommodate the stack of wood, as it reached high enough to touch his chin. It was a wonder that he could managed to carry it all as easily as he was doing.

"Do you believe you have found us enough firewood, little wolf?" Stormblaze wryly asked from where he sat.

Stormblaze's joke flew right over Antoine's head. His eyes traveled down to his burden. "Why? Is this not being enough?"

"More than enough. I daresay we could survive an entire winter with that much wood."

As Antoine made his way over to the area where they intended to build the fire, one of the pieces of wood fell off his stack and landed right in his path. Before Stormblaze could warn him in time, Antoine stepped on the stick and started to stumble, threatening to drop the entire load and fall flat on his face. Stormblaze rushed over to help him, but Antoine was able to quickly regain his balance and maintain his grip on most of the firewood. Carefully straightening himself up, he noticed Stormblaze standing over him, and threw him an irritated look. "Stormblaze, I am not needing you to coddle _moi_."

"Well, pardon me." A put-out Stormblaze mumbled, backing off. "I just wanted to help." Apparently, the powers weren't the only things Antoine had come back with from the Spirit Quest, Stormblaze thought. In place of the timid, insecure teenager who had eagerly accepted Stormblaze's help in becoming a knight was an arrogant and somewhat unsympathetic fighter who trusted no else's abilities but his own. Granted, in the time that Stormblaze had grown more familiar with him, he came to see that Antoine tended to have a cavalier manner about himself anyways (in certain areas more than others), but this was a different sort of cockiness. There was a distinct coldness to it, and Stormblaze got the impression that he was more willing to back it up now.

Stormblaze remembered one particular incident that had occurred over a week ago. He and Antoine had spotted a SWATBot patrol consisting of a dozen of the dome-headed humanoid robots. While Stormblaze was willing to take on four SWATBots at the most, he wasn't as willing to fight twelve of them (not without some backup anyways). Neither did he wish to risk endangering Antoine, whose fighting skills still needed work. Despite Antoine's unexpected desire to actually confront the SWATBots, Stormblaze told him that discretion was the better part of valor. So they had attempted to sneak away, but their foes uncovered their presence and chased the two Mobians down, leading to a fight.

_Stormblaze squared off against one of the SWATBots. He was just as strong as they were, and had the added benefit of having ingenuity and cunning on his side. Having just disarmed the robot, he grappled with it. Finally succeeding in overpowering the SWATBot, he now furiously rained blow after blow down upon its metallic head. One final punch left the SWATBot's head crumpled in like a crushed soda can, putting it down for the count. As Stormblaze turned to search for his next enemy, a crimson streak shot through the air and grazed his right forearm, eliciting a hiss of pain from him. A SWATBot was standing right behind him, a smoking laser cannon in hand. Raising the weapon, it took aim at Stormblaze again._

_That was when the gleaming blade of a sword sliced through the air and the gun's barrel, cutting the laser cannon in two and rendering it completely useless. Honestly, Stormblaze wasn't quite sure what Antoine would be doing during the melee, and hoped he wasn't in any trouble. He quickly realized that that wasn't the case at all. The SWATBot didn't have time to react as its legs were cut off at the knee by a sabre-wielding Antoine. The coydog turned his attention to their other opponents. He seemed to be everywhere all at once, looking like a little blaze of browns and blue as he viciously slashed and skewered robots with his blade. _

_There was no time to stop and stare however, as Stormblaze was forced to go on the defensive as another SWATBot fired on him with its own laser rifle. He charged right at the SWATBot, zigzagging from side to side on all fours as laser fire tore up the ground around him. Reaching his foe, Stormblaze caught the SWATBot right in its chest plate with his horn. With a mighty toss of his head, he sent the robot sailing overhead and crashing to the ground behind him. It wasn't going to be getting up after that. _

_Soon, the two Mobians had managed to defeat the whole group. The SWATBots that hadn't been completely destroyed by Antoine Stormblaze finished off. He marveled at the destruction that they had wrecked on the hated automatons. Noticing Stormblaze gawking at him in amazement, a panting Antoine glanced over at him. "Well? How was that being?"_

_It took Stormblaze a few seconds more to recover his senses before he finally managed to reply, "Er… good." _

In spite of his astonishment, Stormblaze was proud that Antoine had put up such a fierce fight. But looking back, he felt that that episode had marked a turning point for the worse. Now Antoine would refuse any offers of assistance for anything, even from Stormblaze. While Stormblaze did want him to become bolder and more independent, this wasn't quite what he had in mind. Antoine's harsh new attitude seemed to be growing increasingly worse with each passing day. While he had told Stormblaze about some of his experiences on the Spirit Quest, Stormblaze sensed that there were some things that he was leaving out. He wished Antoine would tell him the whole story. Perhaps then he would be able to uncover the reason behind Antoine's moodiness. At least their training regiments were going by without too much trouble. Antoine had actually come very close to besting Stomblaze a few times, though his sword work was still unrefined.

In the meantime, Antoine had gotten busy stacking some of the firewood into a small pile for the fire, having already placed the rest over by the tent. Once that task was complete, he started rummaging through his knapsack, totally oblivious to Stormblaze's pensive mood.

"What are you wanting tonight? The tomato soup, or the mashed potatoes? There is also the food that the Wolf Pack was giving us." He said, all traces of his earlier show of temper gone.

"Eh? Oh, the potatoes, I suppose." Sighing, Stormblaze wondered what could have happened to Antoine to drastically change his personality so.

* * *

Strange noises roused Antoine from a dead sleep. He didn't know what was going on, and at first wasn't quite sure if he was dreaming or not. But when he realized that the sounds were coming from outside his tent, he tensed up.

Moving slowly and carefully so as to not make any noise, Antoine pushed himself up into a sitting position and peeked out between the tent flaps to see what was going on. Was Stormblaze responsible for the mysterious sounds, he wondered?

From where he was, Antoine couldn't see Stormblaze, who was supposed to be asleep over to the left side of the tent. Ten feet away from his tent, a form could be seen crouched over some unidentifiable object. Whoever that was, it was definitely _not_ Stormblaze - not unless he had somehow shrunk significantly and grew his fur out. The unknown individual's back was turned to Antoine, but he came to recognize the object that was the focus of its attention as his own knapsack. Somehow, the stranger had managed to enter the tent without waking him or Stormblaze and swipe Antoine's knapsack.

The other Mobian rifled through the knapsack's contents at a rapid pace, tossing aside anything that he evidently didn't deem valuable, much to Antoine's outrage. This stranger had no right to poach his belongings! But the biggest outrage was yet to come. Lying on the ground beside the scruffy individual was a long object. Antoine squinted, trying to discern what the item was. As he moved about, the thief unknowingly nudged the item with his foot, pushing it into the moonlight and causing it to briefly shine a bright white. Antoine could see that it was his precious sabre.

A new wave of fury rushed through him, and Antoine charged outside to confront the other Mobian. "Stop, you... You-you thief!"

Startled, the would-be robber spun around. His small pointed muzzle and profuse mustache and beard identified him as being a Yorkshire terrier. Seeing Antoine standing there and glowering fiercely at him, he took off like a shot, taking the sabre with him. "Mine!" The terrier snapped over his shoulder.

While he could hear Stormblaze stirring behind him, Antoine decided that he could not afford to wait for him, and gave chase. Although the Yorkshire terrier had a head-start, the shorter canine fumbled with the sabre, which was nearly twice as long as his own body was, the entire way.

The chase took them through the grove and down a nearby country road. Antoine's speed and longer stride was allowing him to quickly close the gap between them. Right when he was getting close enough to reach out and grab the scoundrel, Antoine abruptly ran into something that felt as large and as solid as an oak tree. The sheer force of the impact knocked him flat on his back. For a moment he was too dazed to do anything but lie there on the ground, unfocused eyes gazing at the sky.

Finally, Antoine sat up and shook his head, hoping to make everything that he was seeing stop spinning. Then he noticed the second dog standing in his way, an Irish wolfhound as tall and well-muscled as the terrier was small and wiry. His shaggy face maintained a stern expression as he stared at Antoine. This was definitely the person he had run into. Even though the wolfhound was much, much larger then himself, Antoine didn't feel intimidated by him. Not like he would have been before.

A Doberman pinscher in a sleeveless blue denim vest looked on from nearby, all toned muscle and sharp angles. Standing at his side was Antoine's thief. He smirked triumphantly at Antoine, still clutching his ill-gotten prize.

Flashing his lethal white fangs in a sneer, the Doberman swaggered over to Antoine, who was picking himself up off the ground, and loomed over him threateningly. "You must be new around here, because no one's stupid enough to challenge _us_," He said, the gravelly tone of his voice adding to the menacing quality of his words. "Why don't you do the smart thing and keep walking?"

Antoine glared right back at him. After all he had been through, he wasn't about to allow a couple of mangy crooks to scare him. "I am not caring who any of you are, I _will_ be getting _mes_ sabre back."

"Stand down, pup." The Irish wolfhound warned in a voice that was as deep and powerful as thunder.

"You stand down." Antoine snapped back. "Now, give me back _mes_ sabre, or I will be taking it back!"

Clearly surprised by Antoine's show of bravado, the wolfhound and the terrier murmured quietly between themselves. On the other hand, the Doberman just growled. "Who do you think you are, comin' onto our turf with that fancy getup and hairdo and makin' demands, Mercian? You get lost looking for the beauty parlor?" He and his cohorts broke out into uproarious laughter.

Antoine's hackles rose, but then a sly smile suddenly played on his muzzle. "How droll. But not surprising. I am thinking that as pointed as your head is being, there must not be much room for a brain in there."

The laughter immediately ceased as though it had been cut off with a cleaver. The wolfhound and the terrier stared at Antoine, no doubt wondering if he had some sort of death wish. Not surprisingly, the Doberman had an entirely different reaction. Snarling with rage, he stormed towards Antoine, ready to start throwing punches. "Why you little -"

The blow never fell as a cream-furred hand suddenly stayed the doberman's arm. The hand's owner, a scrappy-looking mix-breed who appeared to have some airedale terrier in him, smiled pleasantly at Antoine from beside the doberman. "Take it easy, Dag." He calmly told the other dog.

Grudgingly lowering his fist, Dag, the Doberman moved aside as the newcomer came forward to size Antoine up. Aside from his brown pants, the only other article of clothing the new dog wore was a yellow kerchief tied jauntily around his neck. He was leanly built, and stood taller than Antoine but shorter then Dag, and definitely shorter than the Irish wolfhound. A long scar running from the left side of his neck down to his shoulder stood out against the dog's wiry fur.

"So not only did you catch Slipp, but you stand up to my boys too? That's pretty gutsy, kiddo." The mongrel remarked, sounding impressed as he folded his arms over his shaggy chest. "Who are you?"

Antoine cast a wary glance over at the other dogs. "Antoine D'Coolette."

That seemed to spark the terrier-mix's interest. Methodically he circled Antoine, dark brown eyes studying him intently. Antoine steadily watched the terrier-mix in turn, wondering what he was up to, but the other canine didn't attempt to attack him or anything. When the terrier-mix had completed a full circle around him, he stopped in front of Antoine. "D'Coolette? As in General D'Coolette? Are you his kid? Or nephew maybe?"

Antoine nodded. "I am his son, _oui_."

At that, the terrier-mix swore and grinned broadly, enhancing the roguish air about himself. "Really? You pullin' my tail here?"

Antoine blinked a bit at the dog's casual swearing. No matter how many times he would hear others use such language, he didn't think he would ever care for it himself. "Er… Are you knowing of him?"

A sober look clouded the mongrel's features. "I'm afraid I never had that pleasure, but I have heard a lot about him. He sounded like a great Mobian. Oh, where are my manners? You can call me the Smiling Bandit. I got that title on account of my winning personality. Or you can just call me Bandit, if you wanna be informal." He winked impishly at Antoine.

Antoine's brow furrowed as he sized up the Smiling Bandit. This was the terrible and awesome Smiling Bandit? The Mobian he had heard about in all the stories was supposed to be a giant, fearsome, black beast with eyes as red as blazing coals. This cream-colored dog with spaniel-like light brown ears and light brown patches randomly splashed on his coat didn't look like any of those things. That wasn't the only thing Antoine had heard about him before. It was said that the Smiling Bandit's great-great-grandfather was a legendary general, though this claim was doubted by some. The Smiling Bandit had become a Freedom Fighter after Robotnik took power, but before the coup, he and a number of the Mobians under him, collectively known as the Maddogs, were known to be highwaymen who would hold up those traveling through the Great Continent's more desolate regions, though robbery wasn't the only crime that they were known to have committed before. It would seem that the Maddogs were still keeping at their old careers. While there were those who still considered the Smiling Bandit to be nothing more than a common criminal, other Mobians venerated him as a great hero. He was said to be a charitable person when it came to the poor and downtrodden, doling out money and goods to those in need. His open defiance of Robotnik had only served to further catapult him to fame.

Antoine didn't know which (if any) of these tales were true and which were merely fabrication, but did find himself hard-pressed to have a favorable attitude towards a known criminal. Realizing that Bandit was talking to him, Antoine returned his attention to the older dog.

"These guys are the Maddogs. Well, some of 'em, anyways. Slipp, Bonehead, and of course, Dag." As Bandit rattled off the name of each Maddog, he indicated the Yorkshire terrier, the Irish wolfhound, and Antoine's chief antagonist in turn.

Antoine sent the three a suspicious glance. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be genial with these dogs who had attempted to rob him as well as threaten him. In turn, the trio didn't appear very pleased to see that their curiously underwhelming leader had taken such an interest in Antoine, Slipp and Dag especially. The latter's dark eyes still simmered with anger whenever he looked Antoine's way. However, they all held their tongues.

Stormblaze finally arrived on the scene, his spatha out and ready to do battle. His sudden appearance startled Dag, Bonehead, and Slipp, who unleashed warning growls and went into defensive positions, preparing for a fight. However, Bandit seemed to be completely unconcerned as he glanced from Stormblaze to Antoine. "This a friend of yours', Tony?"

Antoine raised a hand to stop Stormblaze. "Edward, it is being alright."

Stormblaze lowered his sword, although he remained cautious as he looked around at the four unfamiliar canines. "And you four gentlemen would be?..."

"Down, boys." Bandit commanded his cohorts. They relaxed, but just slightly - a trace of weariness still hovered about them.

"This is the Smiling Bandit, and those three are being the Maddogs." Antoine explained before looking to the Maddogs. "This is Edward Equinus. We are traveling together." By this point in time, Antoine had become so used to using Stormblaze's alias while in the presence of strangers that it was second nature to him. Earlier on, there had been more than a few slipups where he accidentally called Stormblaze by his true name, but thankfully no one seemed to have suspected that anything was amiss, or if they had, hadn't made much of a fuss about it.

"Look, sorry about all the trouble. Why don't I make it up to you guys? You tired? You can stay with us tonight. There's plenty of room and grub back at our place." Bandit offered, welcoming and amiable once again.

Antoine cast Stormblaze a questioning glance. A thoughtful expression came over the disguised unicorn's face before his dark eyebrows shot up as though to say "Why not?"

Antoine supposed that if Stormblaze thought it was alright, then there was nothing wrong with accepting the offer. After all, Stormblaze _was_ the empath, not him. Turning back to Bandit, he answered, "We will be taking your offer up. But first, I want _mon_ sword back." His eyes hardened as he looked Slipp's way.

Slipp appeared vexed by the demand, but at a wave from Bandit, he grudgingly shuffled towards Antoine and held the sabre out with both hands. Antoine took the weapon back, carefully examining it before sliding it back into its proper place at his side.

Antoine and Stormblaze went back to their campsite to pack up their gear to bring with them. When they returned to the spot where the other Mobians were waiting for them, Bandit, flanked by his Maddogs, proceeded to lead the friends to their base of operations. Slipp, who easily stood out as being the most hyperactive and impatient of the lot, kept on running up ahead of the small group to scout before returning to rejoin them. The one moment that neither Antoine nor Stormblaze really liked was when Bandit told them that they had to be blindfolded at a certain point along the way. The thought of being potentially helpless in the Maddogs' clutches didn't sit well with them, but Bandit promised no harm would come to them. The blindfolding was only a precaution, he explained, as currently the Maddogs weren't sure if Antoine and Stormblaze could be trusted with the knowledge of where their secret headquarters was located. After the two gave in and allowed themselves to be blindfolded, they braced themselves for the worst as he and the other dogs guided them the rest of the way. But the dogs were careful, warning of obstructions or the like in their path and leading them around them. Antoine could tell that they were heading downhill, and moved even more cautiously for fear that he might lose his balance. After a while, he could no longer hear the rustling of grass underfoot, and recognized the even, level smoothness of an artificial floor and heard the sound of several pairs of feet (including his own) treading on a hard surface, concrete perhaps. The change in temperature – the air around them shifting from warm to cold – confirmed that the group had just entered a building.

When their blindfolds were finally removed, Antoine and Stormblaze found themselves standing inside what appeared to be an old military base of some sort. As far as Antoine could see, there were no windows, and everything was lit by artificial lighting. Slipp, Dag, and Bonehead left the three to themselves, walking off together to some other part of the building.

As Bandit went onto explain, the Maddogs' hideout was a long abandoned underground military base located under an old Overlander junkyard. The Overlanders had actually done them a favor when they had turned a dusty, thirty-foot wide gulch here in the outlands of Carnia into their dumping ground, Bandit said. The junkyard offered plenty of places for a Mobian to hide (at least the smaller species anyways), with its old machinery, vehicles, and other refuse. The junkyard proved useful in other ways as well, as the scrap that was still some good there could be salvaged, repaired, or used in the creation of other machines and the like, not only by just the Maddogs, but other resourceful locals as well.

As Bandit led Antoine and Stormblaze through the base, he casually engaged them in conversation about themselves - where they had come from, who their allegiances lay with, and so on. The last thing that Antoine wanted to discuss at the moment was Sonic and the other Knothole Freedom Fighters, so he just told Bandit that he had been born in Mercia but had lived in the Kingdom of Acorn for half his life. But since Bandit had demonstrated that he already knew of General D'Coolette earlier, it was safe to assume that he might have also guessed that Antoine was connected to Sally and Sonic. After all, even though eleven years had passed since the dethronement of the Acorns, they and the more eminent members of their court, like Antoine's father, hadn't left the memories of older Mobians, especially on the Great Continent. And unless one lived under a rock, most everybody knew that Sally was the daughter of King Maximilian and Queen Alicia.

Antoine started to notice that whenever he and Stormblaze would ask Bandit about the Maddogs or himself, he would only offer vague answers in return. This made Antoine rather suspicious, but Stormblaze seemed nonplussed. Gradually, Antoine began to relax himself, figuring that Bandit was just trying to determine if they were truly friends or not.

The startling sounds of voices raised in anger and protest interrupted their conversation, causing the three to look around for the source of the racket. They found it nearby. Two dogs, a male and a female, stood facing one another. Judging by the tense, stiffened posture of the female, it would seem that they were arguing, only it really wasn't much of an argument, since she seemed to be the one doing most of the talking. The lady in question was a long-legged pharaoh hound. Her deep blue eyes contrasted with the midnight black color of her fur and the fine white shawl that was draped around her shoulders.

The other canine, who was protectively clutching a guitar, was a rather gangly, odd-looking fellow wearing a fringed brown vest over a long-sleeved purple shirt. A shaggy thatch of unruly white fur crowned his head. His headfur was long enough to where it obscured much of his face, save for his long muzzle. Profuse amounts of white fur also covered his wrists and ankles, and there was a white tuft at the end of his tail. Otherwise, he had no fur, Antoine realized with shock. Just bare golden-tan skin blotched with patches that were a hue of darker yellow, almost lemon. Antoine knew that staring was rude, but he had never seen someone missing such large amounts of fur before. Had something terrible happened to him? A nudge from Stormblaze reminded Antoine of his manners, and he turned his gaze elsewhere. Thankfully, the guitarist seemed not to have noticed, or if he did, chose not to say anything about it. As Antoine would later learn, the guitar player was a breed of dog referred to as a Chinese crested, and most of the breed were naturally born hairless.

"I will abide your foolish caterwauling no longer, minstrel! Cease your noise, or I will be compelled to use force!" The pharaoh hound was saying. Though he hadn't said very much, to his credit, the hapless dog wasn't backing down. It was a little reminiscent of watching a rock in the midst of a raging river getting pounded by the furious rapids.

Bandit rushed over to the duo. "Hey, time out you two! Hey!" He shouted the second 'hey' a little more sharply when the pharaoh hound didn't immediately acknowledge his presence, only continuing to stare harshly at the Chinese crested dog instead. "Now what's going on here?"

The pharaoh hound aimed a long finger at the shorter dog. "I demand that you tell him to stop playing that guitar of his at all hours of the night!"

"Bandit, man, I don't want no trouble from anybody, but you know me - when the muse strikes, I haveta play, y'know?" The Chinese crested dog pleaded.

"Trip, it's not as if we don't enjoy your music, because we do -" The hound rolled her eyes at that, but said noting "- but you gotta take into consideration the fact that some folks may not want a concert at 2:00 am. If you wanna play, why not go outside? It's a real nice night out."

Trip rubbed his chin, contemplating his leader's suggestion. "Well… Mother Nature _is_ good for getting inspirational vibes for, like, art and stuff... Okay!"

Bandit grinned at that. "Before you two go, I want to introduce you to Antoine D'Coolette and Edward Equinus. Boys, the lovely lady here is Anubia, and this is Trip. He's like our… troubadour or something." He good-naturedly laughed a little at that.

By now Anubia appeared to have calmed down significantly. She keenly studied the two newcomers with an unreadable expression, but her large bat-like ears were pointed right in their direction, signifying her interest. To Antoine, it felt like she was seeing straight through him and looking right at his soul. Now he and Stormblaze noticed that she was dripping with jewelry. A heavy gold necklace adorned her neck, while thin golden hoop earrings hung from each ear, and gold and turquoise bracelets encircled each delicate ankle. Antoine marveled at her boldness to run around with such finery in the midst of a gang of criminals.

"Peace be upon you, my friends," Anubia softly said, extending a slender hand out towards Stormblaze and Antoine, her expression calmly expectant. Neither of them could quite place her exotic accent.

"Milady." Taking hold of her extended hand, Stormblaze shook it.

It took all of Antoine's willpower to keep from visibly showing his embarrassment as he watched Stormblaze and Anubia stiffly shake hands. That was _not_ the proper way to greet a lady. Why hadn't he greeted her in the same way he had greeted Lupe?

Eager to make up for Stormblaze's _faux pas_, Antoine stepped in front of his friend, and stooping, took Anubia's hand in his and gently kissed the back of it. "It is being both an honor and a pleasure to be meeting you, _mademoiselle_."

His gesture obviously pleased her more than Stormblaze's, for she rewarded him with a serene smile. "The pleasure is all mine's."

That was when Trip suddenly broke in, a friendly smile stretched across his muzzle. "Hey brothers, what's happening? Welcome to the grooviest pad on Mobius!" A surprised Antoine suddenly found Trip's long thin arms wrapped around him as the musician warmly hugged him. Trip then moved to embrace Stormblaze, but stopped when he realized that his height wasn't going to allow him to properly hug the unicorn. While at first taken aback by Trip's exceptional friendliness, Stormblaze finally chose to oblige him by bending down so that Trip could reach him, although one could tell that he found the whole exchange a little awkward.

"Um… what is being a 'groovious pad'?" Antoine asked, pronounced the strange word slowly. Stormblaze looked about as mystified by Trip's use of slang words as Antoine did.

"Grooviest, man! It's real groovy here! You know - cool, psychedelic, a blast?" Antoine and Stormblaze exchanged baffled looks and shrugged, earning an incredulous headshake from Trip. "Man, where you dudes from?"

"Groovy just means that something's good, is all." Bandit clarified for Antoine and Stormblaze's benefit.

Anubia sniffed haughtily. "As fascinating as this discussion is, I am afraid I must take my leave and return to my mediations," She focused her piercing gaze on Antoine and Stormblaze again. "We will see each other again, gentlemen."

"Guess I should be splitting too. I got music to make." Sending a wave and a broad grin at the three, Trip left, lugging his guitar with him.

"Well, that was… interesting." Stormblaze remarked when Anubia and Trip had gone.

"Don't let first impressions throw you off," Bandit told him. "They're not as bad as they seem, and we wouldn't be the same without those two around."

As Antoine and Stormblaze's tour resumed, they happened to chance upon six canines, a mixture of both wild and domestic kinds, grouped around a card table in the midst of playing some sort of card game. Every few minutes, the gathering would erupt into raucous laughter and loud, excited chatter. A red fox vixen appeared to be the person presiding over the game. When she noticed Bandit standing there with Antoine and Stormblaze, she approached them, her long creamy white-tipped tail flowing behind her as she did. The vixen's silky pelt was a ruby red sort of color, and she had maroon headfur reaching down to her neck.

"This the kit who caught Slipp and mouthed off to Dag and Bonehead?" She casually asked Bandit, crossing her arms over one another as she gave Antoine the once-over. She wore an orange and white bodysuit, along with long white gloves and orange boots outlined in white at the bottom.

Bandit nodded. "This is him. Tony, say hello to Fiona Fox, my second-in-command. And the big fella here is Eddie." He indicated Stormblaze with a jerk of his thumb.

Antoine bowed to Fiona and then kissed her hand, just as he had done with Anubia. "_Bonjour_, _mademoiselle_. It is being a pleasure to meet you."

Fiona didn't reply immediately, completely surprised by Antoine's greeting. Seeing her wide-eyed expression, Bandit just threw his head back and laughed, totally amused by the situation. "Oh boy! Keep this stuff up Romeo, and you're gonna have every girl here eating out of the palm of your hand!"

Fiona presented Antoine with an appreciative smirk and glanced over at her leader. "Hey, don't be jealous just because he knows how to treat a lady."

Bandit smirked back. "Who says I'm jealous, Fee? I'm just giving the pup props on his game."

As he listened to the two of them go back and forth, Antoine came to the conclusion that Mobians in the southeast had a very peculiar manner of speech. He decided that he would ask Bandit later what he meant by giving him "props on his game" and would take his words as a compliment for now.

Unlike Antoine, the "big fella" still remained content to shake hands with Fiona, further acknowledging her by inclining his head to her. "Madame." While Stormblaze didn't exactly shun the idea of greeting someone in a courtly manner, particularly if he felt that the other Mobian was worthy of his respect, it was also something he needed to be in the mood to do. Being woken up in the middle of the night had put a bit of a damper on the disguised unicorn's mood – even though he could forestall sleep for a while if he needed to, he liked his shut-eye as much as any normal person did. He was also trying to figure out whether Antoine's behavior was amusing him or annoying him. Was the fellow planning to kiss the hand of every single female he encountered tonight? Perhaps instead of being irritated, he should follow Bandit's example and give Antoine kudos for managing to charm these ladies.

"If you are not minding _mes_ asking, how are you hearing about what has happened between Dag and myself already?" Antoine was asking Fiona.

"Heard it from Bonehead a couple of minutes ago. I wondered why Slipp and Dag came through here looking like something had bit them in their tails. Anyways, don't worry about Dag. His bark's worse than his bite." The redhead laughed at her own joke.

"Oh, he is not concerning _moi_." Antoine offhandedly remarked with a haughty sniff.

"Their egos are just bruised is all." Bandit said. "Slipp has a rep for being one of the best thieves and pickpockets around these parts, and Dag is… well, I'll just let you guess what he's known for. I've known Slipp since we were both pups. Lil' guy's got some insanely light fingers. I've seen him pull off stunts that a lot of other thieves wouldn't be able to do. The fact that you even knew he there at your camp is… well, pretty amazing." He shook his head in disbelief.

As she listened to Bandit, Fiona turned to Antoine, scrutinizing him with slightly narrowed eyes. "Did you smell him or hear him or something?"

"Well… I was being asleep when some noises outside my tent woke _moi_ up. So I was getting up and looking outside, and that was when I saw him with my knapsack." Antoine replied. If the Maddogs were making such a fuss over the fact that he had detected Slipp's presence just by simply hearing him moving about, then perhaps Stormblaze had been right where it concerned his sense of hearing. Maybe he should stop viewing it as a worthless burden and abnormality and start looking at it as a gift.

"Oh, modest _and_ a charmer," Fiona laughed, inciting a flush of self-consciousness in Antoine. "I think some of our boys can learn a thing or two from him."

"Maybe," Bandit said with a chuckle, noticing Antoine's embarrassment. "C'mon guys. See ya in a little bit, Fee."

Having made Fiona's acquaintance, Antoine and Stormblaze went onto meet the other Maddogs (those who were still awake at the time anyways) and learn their names: Illya, Redd Rover, Rue, Suki, Oskar, Blizzard, Bridget, Barkerville, Lem, Clem, and Bando. An individual named Juniper was mentioned, but Bandit explained that she was out gathering medicinal herbs at the time. Those who weren't awake were either older individuals or very young children, a number of whom were orphans that the group had taken into its care.

Meeting so many new faces in one night had Antoine's head still spinning when he settled into bed about thirty minutes later. He and Stormblaze had been given a room to share. It was one of several located along the hallway in this particular section of the base. So far, they hadn't seen any other species around aside from assorted breeds of canines. Antoine found this somewhat unusual but interesting. As far as he could tell, the Maddogs didn't appear to have a problem with Mobians who weren't canines, as they appeared to be perfectly fine with Stormblaze's presence there, so why their numbers were totally comprised of dogs was something of a mystery. But the diversity of all the different types of canines was a source of fascination for Antoine. He had never realized just how many different varieties of dogs there really were.

* * *

As Antoine shambled out of the spare room and down the corridor, scratching at his side, he thought that it might have been close to morning, but he wasn't quite certain. He had yet to spot a clock anywhere around. Still trying to shed the effects of sleep, Antoine failed to notice that he was about to literally run into a new face.

To his right, a door abruptly swung open, catching Antoine off-guard and knocking him flat on his backside, causing his entire world to explode in pain. When the worst of it was over, he managed to sit up, though his nose still hurt terribly. Clutching the front of his muzzle, which, due to its prominence, had been struck full-force by the door, Antoine grit his teeth and silently rocked forward and back in agony.

His eyes, which were tightly squeezed shut, opened, and he found a pair of big brown eyes framed by thick, dark reddish-brown lashes filling his vision. It took a few seconds for him to realize that the eyes belonged to a dog. He wasn't sure of her breeding, but her fairly long black-tipped ears, which were covered in fur that had a slight wave to it, suggested she was some sort of spaniel-type dog. It was then that he became aware of a stream of upset chatter coming from her.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! Are you okay? I am _so_ sorry! You don't know how sorry I am!" The spaniel-mix fretted as she stared back at Antoine, a panicked expression on her face.

Seeing the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes, Antoine quit rocking and lowered his hands. He had never liked seeing females cry. "Please do not, _mademoiselle_. I think I will be alright." He cringed at how funny his voice sounded in his ears. Why did it seem like he was always injuring his muzzle? Suppose he had broken it?

"I'm getting you to the doc's. Come on." The girl determinedly told him. Grasping Antoine by his arm, she carefully helped him to stand before leading him in the opposite direction of where he had come. Down the hall they went, taking a turn around the corner and then another one until the spaniel-mix finally stopped outside one particular door. Opening it, she hustled Antoine inside and shut it behind her. The room was twice as big as Antoine and Stormblaze's was, with another section that was out of sight, hidden by the corner of the cabinet. It included the addition of an examination table towards the center of the room, drawers, a bookshelf, and a sink. The room was decorated in a style that attempted to give it a cozy, folksy feel. The walls had been painted baby blue. A rug decorated with a strong geometric pattern of red, white, black, and brown lay spread out on the floor, and a sky blue pot holding a cluster of yellow daisies rested atop a small table, along with a couple of old magazines.

Antoine hadn't paid a great deal of attention to the spaniel-mix prior to being led to the doctor's office, but now noticed that her fur was white with some splashes of brownish-orange fur scattered here and there. She was clothed in blue denim overalls that looked like they had seen better days, and a dark blue and white paisley-pattered scarf was tied around her head. In spite of her tomboyishness, she was rather cute.

"Juniper!" The dog was calling out. "You in here?"

"Bridget? What's wrong?"A feminine voice soon answered back.

Bridget? That name rang a bell in Antoine's mind. He and the spaniel girl had been introduced to one another earlier by Bandit, but she had been preoccupied working on one of the air conditioning units and hadn't turned around to even look at him, much acknowledged him. Needless to say, it had peeved him greatly.

When the Juniper in question stepped into sight from around the corner of the partition wall, she immediately captured Antoine's attention, even making him momentarily forget about his injured nose. She was a coyote, garbed in an indigo vest, a concho belt consisting of small ornamental silver disks and polished turquoise beads, and brown sandals. Her striking coat was mostly toffee in color, with a blend of cream and ginger covering her face and underside. Patterns of smoky gray and black shaded her arms, the back of her neck, and the top of her tail. Her headfur was black and worn shoulder-length. A headband dyed with a bold pattern of red, brown, and indigo designs kept her cropped bangs out of her eyes.

Since coming to live in Knothole, Antoine had seen very few coyotes around, not counting the odd unfortunate roboticized one that he and the Freedom Fighters would spot on rare occasions, so he was rather startled to actually meet a coyote in the literal flesh. As they did make up half of his family tree, he had always been interested in meeting one. Even better, this coyote just happened to be a gorgeous girl!

"I, uh, might've accidentally hit this guy in the face when he was walking past my bedroom and I opened the door." A shamefaced Bridget explained, casting a guilty glance over at Antoine from the corner of her eye as she clasped her hands behind her back and stared down at her feet.

Juniper made a pained expression, scrunching up her muzzle and frowning a bit. "Ouch. Well, let's get a good look at you then." Coming closer, she started to carefully examine Antoine, first gently turning his head one way and then another to check his muzzle out from different angles. Taking a penlight out from her vest pocket, Juniper turned it on with a click and proceeded to shine the beam of light inside his nasal cavity as she peered into it. Antoine barely registered any of this, only continuing to dreamily regard her before finally snapping back to reality when she carefully pressed on his muzzle with her slender fingers, causing him to flinch.

"That hurts!"

Sighing, Juniper stepped back, shaking her head slightly. "It's worse than I thought. I'll have to operate."

Both Antoine and Bridget's eyes practically bulged out of their heads. "What?"

Seeing their alarm, Juniper hastily motioned for them to calm down. "Kidding, kidding! It was just a bit of medical humor, that's all!"

Bridget shot Juniper a look of exasperation. "And you say _I_ need to censor myself sometimes?"

Juniper could only grin sheepishly. "I'm only just a healer anyways, not a surgeon. Anyways, your muzzle doesn't seem to be fractured thankfully, but it does look bruised," She told Antoine. "Here," Going back around the partition, Juniper returned with a cold compress, which she handed to Antoine. "Keep this on your nose until the swelling goes down. I'll give you some herbs to help with the pain too."

"_Merci beau coup_." Antoine wished he and Juniper could have met under better circumstances. It just seemed like anytime he was around girls, something embracing would happen to him. Antoine offered the pair a shy grin, suddenly feeling both very self-conscious and very embarrassed by his brazen gawking, especially earlier. "I apologize _mademoiselles_, I am forgetting _mes_ minors. Er, manners!" In his growing embarrassment and frustration, he bit his lower lip. _'Okay Antoine, stop, calm down, and think.'_ He mentally commanded himself. His situation wasn't helped any by how he sounded._ 'My voice sounds about as awful as Snively's does!'_

An amused smile tugged at the corners of Juniper's mouth, though she didn't say a thing. Bridget seemed slightly puzzled by Antoine's sudden loss of composure, but was making an attempt to remain polite. To Antoine's great relief, they didn't seem to be repelled or annoyed by him.

Exhaling slowly, Antoine attempted to speak again, trying to ignore the nasally sound of his voice. "Pardon _moi_. I am Antoine D'Coolette." As he introduced himself, he performed his best gentlemanly bow for the pair. "_C'est un plaisir de te rencontrer_."

"Juniper Thundercub." Juniper held her right hand out, expecting him to shake it, but let out a giggle of surprise when Antoine took her hand and chastely kissed it instead. "Wow, you're really quite the gentleman." She said as he went on to carry out the same greeting with Bridget.

Bridget's expression had brightened, and she was giving Antoine an intrigued look. "Oh yeah, we met earlier, didn't we? Sorry I didn't pay you much mind then. I tend to kinda zone out when I'm working. I like your fancy talk there. Where you from?"

"Mercia, _mademoiselle_ Bridget."

"Mercia? I've heard of that place before – my atlas calls it a 'beacon of old world culture'." Bridget said, seeming a little proud of herself for knowing that bit of information. "You a new recruit?"

"No. Bandit was inviting _moi_ and my friend here. We are just staying for the night..." Antoine trailed off as he realized leaving here was the last thing he wanted to do now. "… But since I am having nothing of importance to do, I think I might be staying for a while."

"Hey, the more the merrier." Juniper said, going over to the counter and getting up on a step ladder so that she could reach one particular cabinet door. Opening it, she began rummaging through the rows of glass jars that lined the shelves. "Forgive me for saying this, but I never knew that there were coyotes in Mercia." Finding the right jar, she grabbed it and climbed back down, then found a measuring spoon and went to work scooping out some of the ground medicinal herbs inside the jar.

"Oh there are, _mademoiselle_. Well, at least there were back before Robotnik's rule. But, ah… actually, my mother is being a poodle. My father is a coyote." Antoine didn't know how the girls would react to his revelation. Depending on where one went, mixed-species marriages on Mobius were either accepted, tolerated, or outright frowned upon. He had never been ashamed of his heritage, and as the Mobians of the Kingdoms of Acorn and Mercia were largely an open-minded lot, Antoine had faced surprisingly little ridicule for being the product of a mixed-species marriage.

Juniper's response was a simple, "Oh." It was as if he had told her that the sky was blue. "Well, I've never met a Mercian coydog then." She corrected herself with a smile. Having measured out the proper dosage of herbs, Juniper filled a small plastic bottle with them and pitched it to Antoine, who caught it in his hands. "Here, take these. Mix a pinch with something like tea or water, and drink a glass every day this week."

Antoine nodded his thanks to her. "Er… How much longer am I to be sounding like this?"

"Well, as your nose heals, your voice should return to normal in a few days. But if not, come and see me, alright?"

"_Oui_, _mademoiselle_. Well, I will be seeing you ladies around then." Antoine said, attempting to sound as suave as possible, but his nasally tone made that rather difficult. He bowed to them, earning smiles and good-byes from the two girls before walking out of the office.

'_Just wait until I tell Stormblaze about this!'_ A completely elated Antoine thought. As he started to walk off, he took a quick look around to make sure that he was all alone in the hallway. Seeing that he was, he hurriedly performed a spritely little jig before unassumingly resuming his normal manner of walking.

* * *

The rest of Antoine's night was peaceful and undisturbed. He seemed to sleep better, though whether this was because of the medicine Juniper had given him or because of how things seemed to be finally going right for him for once he couldn't say. Antoine was grateful that he was allowed to sleep late on that day. Even Stormblaze, who was typically an early riser by nature, had chosen to sleep in. The Maddogs really didn't seem to have a set schedule for the day like the Wolf Pack did. Breakfast was still sitting out when Stormblaze and Antoine entered the kitchen, kept heated by food warmer candles. Apparently the cooks had anticipated some late risers.

As the two of them ate together in a section of the building called the Commons, they were surprised when Slipp skittered up to them in his usual twitchy fashion. "Bandit wants to see the both of you tonight – it's very important! Come to Room 406 by 6:00 pm!" He was gone before either of them could inquire as to what Bandit want with them. But the incident gave Antoine the opportunity he needed to approach Stormblaze about staying on with the Maddogs for a little while longer. He didn't want to come out and say that he wished to do so just to get to know their lovely doctor better. He and Stormblaze had loitered around with the Wolf Pack after all, so Antoine didn't see any problems in spending a bit more time here. He hadn't forgotten that they had to find the Deep Power Stones, but really, what harm could stopping over for a few more days cause?

"You know, I believe that we should be staying here for another day." Antoine nonchalantly suggested after having another sip of his orange juice. This suggestion was met with a stunned stare from Stormblaze.

"Stay for a second day? Antoine, I do not believe that we need to linger here any longer then what is necessary."

"But is it not seeming like they are needing our help? You just heard Slipp! How can we be turning our backs on those who are in need?"

Stormblaze considered Antoine closely. His words sounded sincere, and yet there seemed to be something more that he wasn't letting on to. Stormblaze sighed. "You win. But please remember that we have a quest to complete."

Pleased that he had won the debate, Antoine smiled. "Certainly."

Suddenly, Stormblaze stared more closely at Antoine, frowning slightly. "Something the matter with your nose?"

Antoine quickly looked up from his plate, an expression of near-panic on his face. "Something like what? Is looking bigger? Crooked?"

"Er, well… it does appear to be a little inflamed. But 'tis hardly noticeable. Really." Stormblaze quickly added. "Shall I fix it up for you?"

Antoine shook his head, reflexively rubbing his muzzle as he did. "_Pas_, _pas_… it, uh, might be looking auspicious for _mon_ nose to just be suddenly healed, no?"

"That's 'suspicious', not auspicious. So what happened, anyways?"

"I was getting up to go find the washroom last night, and I ran into a door just as someone was opening it."

"You would seem to have a nose for trouble, little wolf." Stormblaze said, his dead serious expression at odds with his quip.

His pun merely elicited an eye roll from Antoine. "Oh, that was being so funny I was forgetting to laugh."

* * *

It was exactly 6:00 pm when Antoine and Stormblaze both came walking up to the room that Slipp had told them to come to. As they opened the door, they saw that the room resembled an office. A small handful of Maddogs were sitting around a table, with Bandit standing at its head. Resting in front of him on the table was a metallic-gray spherical image projector. Fiona, Suki, a boxer, and the borzoi Illya were obviously surprised to see Antoine and Stormblaze enter. Slipp was unfazed, sitting beside Bandit and managing to remain still for a change. Anubia remained as aloof as ever, favoring the newcomers with a glance before returning her attention to Bandit.

Flashing Antoine and Stormblaze a big grin, Bandit gestured for them to have a seat. "Hey fellas, you made it! So now that the gang's all here, we can get this party started. Word has just come in from one of our scouts that Dr. Herdwick was arrested by the secret police yesterday morning and taken to Carnia Penitentiary on the charges of – and I quote –' suspicion of fraternizing with domestic terrorists'. Now I don't know about you guys, but if not bowing down to some fat egotistical Overlander with a robot fetish makes me a domestic terrorist, then brother, I am a proud domestic terrorist!" There was laughter and even a few cheers of approval (namely from Fiona, Illya, and Slipp) from his audience. Bandit patiently waited for the hubbub to die down before speaking again.

"Anyways, as most of you well know, the doc's been a trusted friend and ally of our's for years, so I want to bust him out. Any comments or questions so far?" Receiving shakes of the head from his audience, he went ahead and activated the projector. The high-tech device threw up the holographic image of a three-dimensional map of the interior of a large building of some type. "Good. This here is Carnia Penitentiary. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with our wonderful local correctional facility, the place is old, and most importantly, they really haven't bothered to update security from barbed wire, Tasmanian devils, and watchtowers manned by armed guards. My plan is this: Anubia will get us inside by casting an illusion that'll make us look like guards. Thanks to my man Slipp here, we can open Cecil's cell with this -" He held up a key for everyone to see before looking to Antoine and Stormblaze.

"I thought that the abilities the both of you have would come in handy helping us evade detection, or fighting off the guards if necessary. But you two aren't a part of the gang, so you have the choice of not participating in the mission. If you don't want to come, then I can't make you. We'll understand if that's your choice."

"Of course we will join you and your team on this duty!" Antoine enthusiastically shouted. "We would not be following the knight's code if we did not!"

Stormblaze merely nodded. While he did feel bad for this Dr. Herdwick fellow, another part of his reasoning for joining them was so that he could keep an eye on Antoine and make sure he didn't get himself (or anyone else) into trouble.

"Good deal, Romeo," Reaching over, Bandit gave Antoine's arm a playful punch. "Now, I need the both of you to know that you're gonna be following my orders. We're not going there to pick a fight, we're rescuing a friend." Arising from his chair, his dark brown eyes roved around the room. "Alright gang, go get whatever gear you think you're gonna need. We need to get going."

As Antoine and Stormblaze left to retrieve their respective weaponry from their room, Stormblaze muttered to Antoine, "Why invite us to go along? He hardly even knows us."

"Perhaps he is recognizing talent when he sees it?" Antoine replied with a slight smirk. While Stormblaze's question was valid, Antoine felt that a dangerous mission to free an unjustly imprisoned prisoner was just what he needed right now. It would be a sort of practice run for when he and Stormblaze finally went up against the Order of Ixis.

**Author's Notes: **Yep, it's Fiona Fox.I'm not sure what people will think of my take on her for my story-verse, but I hope it's interesting.

Translations:

C'est un plaisir de te rencontrer: It is a pleasure to meet you.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

When Antoine and Stormblaze, each now equipped with their own respective weaponry, returned to the place where the four Maddogs who had been selected for the mission to Carnia Penitentiary were gathering, they were greeted by the sight of Suki and Illya in the process of loading small handguns. Even Fiona was carrying a gun on her person, and as it turned out, so was Bandit.

At the sight of the firearms, Antoine's eyes went wide. "Guns?" Many Mobians, including just about all of the Knothole Freedom Fighters, frowned upon guns (although Sally's bunch made an exception for the specialized guns Rotor would create, but personally Antoine couldn't quite see a difference), considering them to not only be dangerous, but the weapons of choice for cowards. It was often said that Overlanders liked firearms so much because they lacked the natural weaponry and abilities that Mobians and other species were born with and therefore wanted something to compensate for their weakness.

"Just for a bit of extra protection." Bandit explained, seeing the look on Antoine's face.

At his side, Antoine heard Stormblaze give a snort that, if he didn't know any better, sounded contemptuous, though surprisingly he said nothing. He guessed correctly that Stormblaze didn't think very highly of firearms either.

But no one else seemed perturbed by the sight of the weapons, only calmly standing around instead as they waited to leave, and Suki merely grunted. With her athletic yet sleek physique and the squarish muzzle that was characteristic of her breed (being female though, Suki's muzzle was slightly daintier then that of a male boxer's), Suki was a tough, bold canine who was quick to use her words – or fists - in the defense of others. Typically though, the boxer didn't resort to fisticuffs unless necessary. One stern glance from her was usually enough to cow most Mobians.

"Hey pup, we ain't about to go on no picnic," She gruffly addressed Antoine. "Some of us don't have magic or fast hedgehogs to do our work for us."

Pinning his ears back, Antoine glared indigently at Suki. Her implication that Sonic was responsible for the Knothole Freedom Fighters' victories against Robotnik was highly insulting. As loathe as Antoine was to admit it, Sonic played his part of course, and compared to him, Antoine hadn't contributed as much, but it was still team effort that helped the Knothole Freedom Fighters win the day – between Sonic, Sally, Bunnie, Rotor, and Dulcy anyways.

He was about to fire back with a sharp retort when Bandit jumped into the exchange before things became really heated. "Now standards are all well and good to have Tony, but this is war. It's either kill or be killed out there, and brother, nothing gets the job done quicker then hot lead."

"You don't have to use a gun if you don't want to," Fiona piped up. "After all, you must carry that frog sticker there around for a reason." She pointed to Antoine's sabre.

Fondly, Antoine patted the gold basket hilt of his sword. "_Oui_. The blade is good enough for _moi_." He proudly replied.

* * *

Antoine quietly watched as one of the prison guards, a German shepherd, approached him, Bandit, Fiona, Slipp, Illya, and Anubia. Bandit and Anubia stood at the forefront of the small group, appearing to be completely at ease. Stormblaze and Suki had been instructed to stay outside to serve as backup. Suki had been given an ear piece which would allow her and Bandit to communicate back and forth with one another. At a certain point, Bandit was going to contact her and give her the signal to create a distraction of some sort outside so that they could make their escape.

Bandit and Anubia were posing as guards who were delivering some new prisoners. Previously, the pharaoh hound had instructed her teammates to keep their arms in front of them and try to give off the impression of being prisoners – it would help the illusion along, she had said. Antoine couldn't help but think that with the oppressive atmosphere of their surroundings, pretending to be prisoners wouldn't be a problem.

In person, the gray-bricked penitentiary dominated the landscape around it, standing four stories high. It was surrounded by a wide moat that went as deep as thirty feet in its middle. It had been a nerve-racking experience marching right into the prison past the two watchtowers located at the front of the building as well as all of the guards who patrolled the premises, dour-looking Mobians whose drab gray and dark blue uniforms added to the overall intimidation factor of the place.

The guard didn't raise the alarm, or eagerly race forward to arrest the six canines, only waiting to see what Bandit had to say instead. Looking serious for once, Bandit explained the story that he and the others had created and spent time rehearsing repeatedly: he and his "partner" were bringing in four new prisoners who were accused of property theft.

Favoring the four "prisoners" with a cursory, if rather bored glance, the guard replied, "Move 'em on down to cellblock A-16."

Antoine was still shocked at how well Anubia's illusion spell was working. As it turned out, she was a magician. As she had told Antoine and Stormblaze earlier, she had been trained from puphood in the mystical arts in the faraway desert land of Kemia, the kingdom of her birth. Along with everybody else, Antoine had observed as Anubia wove her spell over him, Bandit, Illya, Slipp, and herself. When she finally finished reciting the last of the arcane words that would initiate the spell, neither he nor the Maddogs appeared any differently from how they had looked before, but to those inside the prison, like employees, they just appeared to be guards with a group of prisoners in tow. Magic was truly a remarkable thing.

The trek to the penitentiary had taken the motley group of Freedom Fighters about two hours, which was why Bandit had been so eager to leave. On the way there, Antoine and Stormblaze had inquired as to who Carnia's subboss was ('subboss' was a formal title for the underlings that Robotnik employed to oversee the areas he controlled) and had gotten an earful about him. He was a longhair cat named Kasimir. One of two sons of Carnia's former mayor, who had been a generous and considerate leader, he didn't take his brother's victory over him in the polls very well when they both had run for the mayoral seat. Kasimir went to Robotnik, pledging his services and loyalty to him if he helped him toss his brother out of office and installed him as mayor instead. Robotnik agreed to the deal, and, after ousting Carnia's properly elected mayor, roboticized him. According to the rumors, Kasimir hadn't shed a single tear for his brother.

Unlike his relations, Kasimir was an arrogant Mobian more interested in wealth and personal power then in improving the lives of Carnia's citizenry, and relied on the corrupt police force and a contingent of robots given to him by Robotnik to carry out his dirty work and enforce his will. Seeing the threat that Kasimir posed to not just their livelihoods but their very wellbeing, Bandit and several surviving members of his gang had officially formed the Maddogs not long after Kasimir's rise to power. They accepted regular civilians into their ranks, just as long as they either had skills that could be useful or were fast learners who could be trained. The Maddogs regularly harassed Kasimir's forces, and he had developed a special hatred for Bandit in particular after Bandit had personally broken into his house and made off with a number of valuables, including some of the gourmet delicacies that Kasimir had purchased for his kitchens. Bandit had gone onto pass out the spoils to those in need of it.

Thanks to the previous times he had spent incarcerated there, Bandit knew exactly where they were going. Nodding his thanks to the guard, Bandit led the group out of the lobby and down one of the winding corridors that would take them to where the cellblocks were. Occasionally, a guard or two would pass them by. Most of them nodded to Bandit and Anubia in acknowledgement, but otherwise left them alone. The only things they had to really worry about were security cameras, due to the fact that they would reveal the Freedom Fighters for who they really were, but they could be easily bypassed for the most part.

"Ah, good old cellblock A-16," Bandit quietly said when he was certain that nobody else was around. He sounded as though he was reminiscing about an especially memorable sports event or something. "Remember it, Illya?"

Laughing harshly, the tall borzoi replied in his Russian accented voice, "Like it was yesterday."

"How many times have the both of you been imprisoned here?" Antoine asked, curiously regarding Illya, who was right next to him.

"Bandit? Oh, three, about two times before Kasimir took over. For me, twice, give or take. But no prison is a match for Illya Borzakof!" He exclaimed, proudly thumping his chest with a fist.

"Wonder if they were ever able to get the scorch marks off the walls of your cell?" Bandit said with a laugh.

Fiona cleared her throat to get the pair's attention. "As much as I hate to interrupt this little trip down memory lane, mission, remember?" She looked tense. Not surprising, given the situation.

After that, everyone fell silent for the most part, except when Bandit contacted Suki and told her that to proceed with her distraction. Finally, after taking a right down another corridor, the group located the cellblock that they had been looking for. It resembled a long hallway, but was wider than the other halls in the building were, and lined on either side by metal doors. Antoine and the Maddogs split up to find Dr. Herdwick. With the exception of Illya, they were forced to give one another boosts, standing on each others' shoulders and the like so that they could peek into the little door slots that were the only way of seeing inside the cell. As the canines worked, they could hear all sorts of sounds coming from within the cells made by those locked up inside them. As his sense of hearing was sharper than the others, the noises made Antoine uncomfortable, as did seeing the inmates confined inside the tiny, dingy cells, but he steeled himself and pressed on without a word. Still though, he couldn't imagine being imprisoned in such a miserable place and being unable to leave.

It took a while, but it was Bandit who finally located Dr. Herdwick in a cell which was located on the right side of the cellblock, down towards the very end of the row. Using the key that Slipp had gotten made for him, Bandit unlocked the cell door and pushed it open. Inside the room, a bespectacled ram sat on a wall-mounted bench, fingers entwined together. Seeing the Mobians gathered outside, he somehow appeared to go even paler beneath his already white fur.

Bandit addressed the nervous sheep. "Doc, it's me, Bandit! This is the gang here with me. The only reason we look like this is because of a magic spell."

Dr. Herdwick's shoulders quivered for a second before finally slumping, and he released a great sigh. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

Before anyone could say anything else, Anubia announced in a low but clear voice, "I am afraid that now I must dispense with the illusion."

There were no noticeable signs that the illusion had been dropped, but Dr. Herdwick, who had stepped out of the cell, adjusted his spectacles and blinked dazedly as he stared at the younger Mobians. "By George, it really is you!"

"A fine time for this to happen, Nubes," Fiona dryly said, fingering her pistol and warily casting glances around as if she was expecting guards to appear out of nowhere.

Anubia shot a peeved look in the fox's direction. "The spell only lasts for a certain amount of time, and the more Mobians it affects, the shorter that length of time is. Which I believe I mentioned -"

"It's okay," Bandit cut in. "We got the hard part out of the way. Now we just need to get out of here. Come on."

Antoine, the Maddogs, and Dr. Herdwick ran after Bandit. All of them knew that if even a single guard caught wind of their presence, things likely would not end well for them. They were on the enemy's territory outnumbered and outgunned by their armed foes. Oddly enough, Antoine was alert, but not as anxious as he was when they had first arrived here, or even like his old self would have been in such a situation. For him, it felt good to not want to hide behind somebody else. He felt ready for anything.

Suddenly, Antoine stopped running and froze, staring straight ahead. Before them, the hall branched off into two separate directions. "Wait!" He hissed in warning, causing the others to stop and face him.

"Why?" Slipp demanded.

"Somebody is coming this way!" Antoine pointed down the hallway.

A wave of fear and agitation (and in Antoine's case, anticipation) swept through the group. All eyes turned to Bandit, all wordlessly asking the same question. In turn, Bandit gestured for them to stand back against the walls and wait.

They didn't have to wait long. As the guard, this one a beaver, came around the left-hand corner of the hallway and began walking down the hall, he was quick to notice two things. Firstly, the hall wasn't as empty as he thought it was. secondly, he was being attacked.

Being much faster than the beaver or even most of his teammates, Illya was the first to reach him, catching the rodent with a right across the jaw that knocked him to the ground. With Antoine's aid, Illya tried to pin him there. The startled guard struggled against his attackers and tried to call for help, but a rap to his head courtesy of the butt of Fiona's pistol knocked him out cold.

Bandit found the guard's radio, which he had lost during the confrontation, and picked it up. "Good job, guys!" He congratulated his men as he came to stand over the downed beaver. "Let's take him back this way, I got a little idea. Hold this for a minute, Tony." He handed the radio off to Antoine.

Because the beaver was a stoutly-built Mobian, Illya took hold of his arms, while Bandit grabbed his legs. Together, the two of them carried the guard back down the way the Freedom Fighters had originally come while their cohorts waited and kept watch. A few minutes later, Bandit and Illya had returned.

"What did you do with him?" Antoine asked, hoping not to hear that the guard had been killed. Even though the beaver was technically working for Kasimir, to kill an unconscious Mobian in cold blood still struck him as just being wrong.

"We stuck 'im in the doc's cell. Figured he needed a taste of his own medicine." Bandit replied with a grin, taking the radio back from the coydog.

A scratchy burst of static suddenly emitted from the radio before a female voice came through it. "A fire has broken out over on the northeast quadrant! All personnel report to the lobby!"

"Good girl, Suki." Bandit commented as he listened.

Making a right turn, the group then came to a side door and opened it. A quick hike down a flight of steps took them to what appeared to be an area that served as a place of worship for the inmates. Thankfully, it was empty at the moment. Further ahead, light from outside poured in through two tall windows. Going up to the windows and peering out, everyone could see the moat. Beyond it lay fields and sparse patches of forest, and, over to their far left, thick, black smoke was rising into the air.

While Anubia took out a piece of chalk and started drawing an elaborate circular pattern on the floor, Bandit and the others kept an eye out just in case anyone tried to enter the chapel. Even though Antoine was supposed to be keeping watch with the others, he couldn't help wondering what new spell Anubia was working.

When Anubia was done, she stood back from the circle and addressed her cohorts. "I'm going to teleport us outside. But to do this properly, all of you must do exactly as I command you to. First, join me around the circle."

The group did as they were told, though not without a tiny bit of hesitation from one particular person.

"This process isn't going to hurt or anything, is it miss?" Dr. Herdwick asked as he scrutinized the circle, echoing Antoine's thoughts. Antoine wasn't especially familiar with magic, or those who wielded it. About the only experience he had ever had with a magician of any kind before was Tails' mother, who had been some sort of healer, and he couldn't recall seeing any spectacular displays of magic from her before.

Recognizing that the doctor was unused to magic, Anubia glanced his way. "No. At the most you will feel a tugging sensation on your person." She calmly explained. "Now, join hands everyone, and I will activate the spell. As I do this, _none_ of you areto move."

Given how blasé Bandit, Fiona, and the other Maddogs seemed about this whole situation as though they had been through it before (although Fiona was wearing a somewhat sour expression on her face, like she wasn't anticipating what was about to happen), Antoine guessed that Anubia's warning was meant for Dr. Herdwick and himself.

Being teleported turned out to be a very peculiar experience. Anubia began to chant in her native Kemetian. As she did, a small breeze suddenly sprang to life, whirling around the six of them. The air crackled and pulsed with invisible energy, reminding Antoine of static electricity. Just as Anubia had described, Antoine felt some unseen force pull him forward. At the same time, he heard what sounded like rushing water in his ears. The next thing he knew, everybody was standing together out in the middle of a field. Although they were still close enough to Carnia Penitentiary to make out most of the details of the main building's architecture, they were well out of range of the watchtowers.

Looking to his left, Antoine noticed that Fiona appeared to be somewhat queasy, and Dr. Herdwick wasn't looking too well either. Meanwhile, Bandit contacted Suki on his ear piece and let her know where they were at. Several minutes later, she and Stormblaze came racing up to the group, looking out of breath but happy to see everyone alive and in one piece.

Bandit looked around at the faces of the others, obviously proud of how well their mission had turned out. "C'mon kids, let's go home. We got us a victory dinner waiting for us, compliments of Kasimir!"

* * *

That night back at the Maddogs' base, everywhere Stormblaze looked he saw Mobians in high spirits. Everybody was gathered in the commons. It seemed like nearly everyone either had a drink in hand or was eating something. The lunch tables had been pushed to the edges of the room in order to make room for the revelers and give them more space to either dance or mingle. Bandit was sitting at one table, retelling the story of Dr. Herdwick's rescue to several interested listeners. Nearby, Trip was playing music on his guitar to accompany Bandit's story, the melody becoming either appropriately dramatic or rousing in all the right places. Bandit didn't seem to mind.

Speaking of Dr. Herdwick, he was there too, and, rather startlingly, drinking like a fish. Stormblaze supposed the poor fellow was just trying to sooth his nerves after all he had been through recently. Tomorrow, the Maddogs were going to help him go into hiding so that he could continue helping Carnia's resistance movement without having to constantly look over his shoulder.

When Bandit, Antoine, Stormblaze, Suki, Fiona, Slipp, and Illya had returned with Dr. Herdwick from their mission, one of the first Mobians to encounter them was Dag. He had taken one look at Antoine and remarked in a tone that was part surprise and part disdain, "Huh. I'm surprised the little runt didn't get himself killed."

"You think I'd of bought him along if I didn't think he could handle himself?" Bandit confidently retorted, making sure to place a hand on Antoine's shoulder just in case he decided to do something crazy because of Dag's comment.

Suki nodded in agreement. "Yeah, kid did us a favor, spotting that guard in time like that."

Picking up on the genuine note of approval in her tone, Antoine broke off his glaring contest with the Doberman to glance over at Suki. He was grateful that she wasn't so proud that she would not acknowledge his helpful actions in spite of their bickering previously. He didn't need to rely on a fast hedgehog to take care of him. "Oh, well, it was being nothing really. Someone else would have seen him coming if I had not been there, I am sure." Antoine seriously replied.

Suki and Bandit exchanged amused glances between themselves. "Ain't he Mr. Modesty?" Bandit remarked. Dag's only response was a scornful snort, but he refrained from saying anything else.

Being here with the Maddogs struck Antoine as being somewhat surreal – pleasurable, but surreal all the same. After all, nobody that he knew from his old life would have ever used his name and the word modesty in the same sentence.

The sudden appearance of Bridget on the scene only added to his feeling of being whisked away to an alternate dimension where Mobians actually liked and respected him - well, most of them, anyways. Walking right up to Antoine, she beamed at him before grabbing the surprised coydog by the hand. "You think I could borrow Antoine here, or are you guys busy?" She asked Bandit and Suki.

Suki smiled obligingly at Bridget. "Nope. He's all your's."

As Bridget proceeded to lead Antoine away, he took in the kooikerhondje-mix's appearance. Noting how she and everyone else there was dressed, Antoine surmised that the gathering wasn't a formal celebration. He targeted to feel a little out of place in his uniform.

Bridget was saying something to him, and he brought his attention back to her. "Since our first meeting was so crappy, I wanna make it up to you somehow."

"But _mademoiselle_, I told you before that I know you were not meaning to hurt me on purpose. It is fine, really!" Antoine insisted.

"Are you sure? If you really are still upset at me, you can say so. You won't hurt my feelings… well, not much, but still, I'd feel real guilty if you were just acting like you were okay but really weren't."

"I am being sure that I am sure." Antoine emphatically said.

This finally seemed to alleviate the guilt she had been feeling. "Thank you, Antoine!" Bridget gushed as she caught him in a hug, much to his surprise. "Wanna dance?" She brightly offered before looking him over. "Hey, you're kinda built like a dancer. Have you ever considered joining a ballet company somewhere like in Mobotropolis or Ducaine when the war is over with?"

Antoine jerked in surprise. "_Moi_, doing the ballet dancing? _Pas, pas_!" Jumping around on a stage in tights was a surefire way to get himself laughed at. "I am really wanting to be a… a…" Before, he would have readily answered that he wished to be a knight in the service of the Kingdom of Acorn, but with surprise realized that he wasn't sure if that's what he really wanted anymore, considering what he had learned about the other Knothole Freedom Fighters recently. "I really am not knowing anymore." He finally admitted with a helpless shrug.

Bridget patted Antoine's hand in a supportive gesture. "Don't worry. You'll figure it out eventually, I'm sure of it. It took me awhile to figure that I wanted to be a professional grease monkey."

Antoine thought to himself how strange it was that even though these Mobians spoke English, at times he barely understood what they were even talking about. But before he could inquire what Bridget meant by the term "grease monkey", she pulled him in the direction of one particular table where a dark red-furred dog was sitting.

"Hey, there's Redd! I think you'd like talking to him. He's a really deep thinker," She said. "I'm sure he could help you with your problem."

Stormblaze was sitting down, a large plate of food on the table in front of him. He was going to invite Antoine over to join him, but had been a moment too late. As a result he had been feeling slightly miffed, but then decided to let Antoine have his fun. After all, it wasn't like he had a monopoly on Antoine's company or something. And at least he wasn't by himself. Taking up the spot next to him was Bonehead, and both were listening as Illya was going on about his exploits as an explosives expert for the Ruthenian military prior to his joining the Maddogs, as well as the missions he had gone with them. The silver and white canine sitting across from them wasn't exactly a braggart, but did clearly enjoy discussing his adventures. Stormblaze couldn't say that Illya was making him anymore interested in explosives then before (which was to say not at all), but like anyone else, he enjoyed a good story and paid attention nonetheless. Bonehead was turning out to be a friendly, even-keeled individual, a surprising contrast to how he had behaved when he first encountered Stormblaze and Antoine. He would stop eating to good-naturedly tease Illya, and spoke easily with Stormblaze. Stormblaze found himself enjoying their company.

After a while, Stormblaze noticed Antoine, who was across the room engaged in conversation with Bridget and some other Maddogs whose names he had forgotten, get up and leave. When he hadn't returned after fifteen minutes, Stormblaze's curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to see where Antoine had gone. Stormblaze excused himself and left the commons. He figured Antoine was either somewhere close by or had returned to their room. It was his second hunch that turned out to be the correct one. Knocking on the door, he could hear Antoine's muffled voice call out from inside the room, "Who is it?"

"Stormblaze."

"You may come in."

Entering, Stormblaze saw Antoine standing before the mirror that hung on the wall across from their cots. "Still busy trying to impress the ladies?" Stormblaze lightly remarked, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Tell me, do you think that I am being overly dressed?" Antoine asked him as he appraised himself in the mirror hanging on the wall.

"Your dress appears acceptable to me." Stormblaze said, shrugging. "Besides, it makes you stand out from the crowd."

"_Oui_, that is being true. I will keep wearing it then." That was just as well; he really wasn't comfortable with the idea of borrowing clothes from one of the Maddogs, partly because the idea of wearing someone else's clothing made him feel squeamish. Picking up his brush, Antoine started brushing his headfur. "Are you not loving this place? These Mobians, they are being _magnifique_!" He told Stormblaze.

"'Tis alright I suppose." Stormblaze carefully answered, knowing that it didn't take much to set Antoine's temper off these days. Right now he wasn't in any mood to bicker. Something else that had come to Stormblaze's notice was that after his return from the Spirit Quest, Antoine had stopped mentioning his desire to be knighted as well the other Knothole residents. Stormblaze wanted to know why, but it was something else that Antoine kept secret from him. He didn't necessarily take issue with the fact that Antoine had secrets – everyone did, even himself – but Stormblaze had a feeling that hiding these particular secrets was not going to have good consequences.

"Well, I suppose your actions today will make a good story to tell Princess Sally so that she can finally knight you." He ventured, watching for Antoine's reaction.

The happy gleam which had been in Antoine's eyes died like a candlelight that had just been blown out. "Right." His expression neutral, he set his brush aside and turned to face Stormblaze. "You know, I have been doing the thinking lately. There might be other options out there for someone like _moi_ other than being a knight."

Stormblaze hadn't been quite expecting to get a response like that. He stared intently at his protégé. "I thought you were deadest on attaining knighthood. What happened?"

Antoine didn't reply immediately. After a moment of silence between them, he finally answered. "How can one be a knight when there is being no one honorable to serve?"

* * *

When the celebration wound down hours later, many of the Maddogs dispersed for the night, including Bandit. Antoine decided to step outside for a walk. There were several exits scattered throughout the base that lead above ground. One had to scale a wall-mounted ladder in order to reach the exits, which were covered by metal covers, and push it open. The Maddogs took care to carefully hide them so that they couldn't be easily found or noticed by anyone who entered the junkyard.

Antoine strolled through the junkyard, wearing a contemplative expression. Momentarily, clouds slid over the moon, which was in its last quarter phase, blocking what little light it had to offer. When his hearing caught the sounds of soft footfalls, he followed his ears over to where the sounds were coming from. His efforts at tracking were rewarded when, in the moonlight, he spied a flash of a pure white-tipped long bushy tail disappearing around the corner of a tall heap of battered vehicles. It must have been Fiona, he realized. He could only assume that she had the same idea he did in coming out here. He decided that it wouldn't hurt him to say hello.

"_Bonjour_, Fiona." Antoine said in greeting to the fox, whose back was to him as she walked between the rows of junk vehicles.

Fiona quickly twisted around, looking like she was ready to either flee or fight. Seeing that it was only Antoine, she calmed down, but fixed him with an annoyed glare. "Jeez, you nearly gave me a heart attack you know!"

"_Excuses_," He brought his left arm up to his chest and bowed his head apologetically, feeling guilty for surprising her. "I was not meaning to scare you, _mademoiselle_."

Fiona's frown faded, her expression becoming softer. "It's alright. So… what did you think of the party? Have a good time?"

"_Oui_, I was enjoying myself very much."

"No offense, but are you always this formal?" She asked, arching one eyebrow.

"_Mon_ apologies," Antoine replied, bashfulness evident on his face. "It is just being the way I was raised. I have been trying to, uh, how you say, loosen up?"

"Mmm-hmm. Well, stick around, because we can help you with that. Bandit and the boys'll have you belching and scratching in no time."

At that, a shadow of disgust overtook over Antoine's features. "Er… perhaps."

Fiona snickered amusedly. "Catch you later, Tony." She said, waving goodbye before continuing on her way.

Antoine watched her go before continuing along on his way. Surprisingly enough, he really had enjoyed himself this evening. Even though they were Freedom Fighters, the Maddogs were definitely nothing like the Freedom Fighters of Knothole. He had the feeling that Sally and the others would be quite reluctant to have the Maddogs as allies. The Maddogs probably had more in common with the Wolf Pack due to their shared willingness to use lethal force against adversaries, although Antoine knew that the wolves would not only be too proud but repulsed by the thought of even considering wielding firearms.

Also, Antoine was happy that more Mobians saw that he could be a useful and brave individual – because he now genuinely was one. As far as he was concerned, his days of having to constantly rely on someone else to either help or rescue him were over and done with. He would no longer burden anyone with his problems. He had come to see that he could take care of himself as well as other Mobians - _he_ had been the one to kill the Skinwalker, after all. A cold, whispery voice in his mind further reinforced these thoughts, telling him that only the weak needed assistance or asked for it. True warriors tackled tough situations alone and didn't rely on anybody but themselves. Besides, most Mobians couldn't be counted on anyways. They only really cared about making themselves look good and being able to pat themselves on the back for how charitable they supposedly were. The old useless and pathetic Antoine who depended on aid from those kinds of Mobians was gone.

'_And good riddance.'_ He thought.

From the corner of his vision, Antoine was certain that he saw something white and furry on the hood of an old hovercar. Curious, he ventured closer to see what it could be. The object turned out to be Bandit, who was reclining on the hood. His hands were resting behind his head as he stared up at the night sky. Antoine wondered what he was doing out here by himself.

Taking notice of Antoine's presence, Bandit sat up and cheerfully called out to him, "Hey, Romeo! Come on over and cop a squat!"

"Cop a squat?…" Antoine echoed.

"It means take a seat." Bandit helpfully supplied.

Antoine went over, but paused to consider the car's hood, wondering just how clean it actually was. Deciding that it might be impolite of him to turn down Bandit's invitation, he finally climbed on up and plopped down beside the other canine. "Why are you being out here?"

Bandit gave a casual shrug of his shoulders as he lay back down. "I like to come out here and look at the sky and stuff. It's kinda soothing, being out here by yourself with only the stars, y'know?"

Antoine nodded, understanding what Bandit meant. He liked to admire nature himself when he could – he noticed that it seemed to alleviate his worries for some reason and made him feel at peace.

Bandit turned his head to glance at Antoine. "You did a good job today, pup. You're officially alright in my book."

Though he was smiling inwardly, glad he had won the older canine's approval, Antoine just shrugged slightly. "I was just doing what you were asking _moi_ to do."

His statement seemed to satisfy Bandit, whose gaze returned to the skies. "If you don't mind my asking, what's the deal with you and the uniform? You in the military?" He asked.

"If only. This uniform was belonging to _mon_ father, when he was just starting out as one of King Maximilian's knights. I am wearing it in his honor."

"I see. You know, I had a sister in the military. She was an infantry driver in the army. You're real lucky to have an heirloom to remember your dad by. I know a lot of Mobians who weren't that fortunate and lost everything when Robotnik came into power."

Antoine only nodded, suddenly pensive as he ran a thumb over the topmost gold button on the front of his uniform.

Bandit mistook his silence for despondence. "Sorry, Tony. Didn't mean to bring ya down like that."

"Oh no, it is being alright," Antoine quickly reassured him. "I was just… doing some thinking, that is all." He decided he wanted to ask some questions for a change, as there were some things about his new friends that he was wondering about. "What is Anubia's story being? And for that matter, Juniper's?" He asked. Some of the Maddogs, like Anubia, Trip, and Juniper, seemed oddly out of place among the rough-and-tumble and streetwise lot who made up about half of the group. In fact, if Antoine didn't know any better, Anubia could have passed for royalty, what with her polished manners and refined ways.

"Sorry, but it ain't my place to tell ya. I respect the girls' privacy too much to talk about their personal histories. The same goes for the other Maddogs."

"That is being fair enough," Antoine conceded. It was probably for the best that Bandit didn't discuss the backgrounds of his Freedom Fighters. Thinking about it, Antoine knew that he wouldn't appreciate someone going around spilling his life story.

"If you want, you can ask 'em yourself." Bandit suggested. "Though I can't guarantee that you're gonna get an answer."

"Perhaps, when I am knowing the both of them better. My second question is being about that scar on your neck. How did you get it?... If you are not minding telling me." Antoine hastily put in, remembering his manners.

"That? Old war wound," Bandit replied. He held his head a bit higher, almost seeming proud of the old injury. In the moon's light, the scar stood out plainly against his pale coat. "I was sixteen when I got it. That was when I still lived in the city. I was just an errand boy back then, and was coming back from delivering a package for him. I was trying to get back to my boss' place over on the east side. Anyways, I decided it'd be a good idea to take a shortcut. Now, part of that shortcut cut through the turf of a rival gang, the Nasty Hyenas, but I thought I was slick enough to get through without being spotted. Guess what happens?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on. "I end up in a tussle with a couple of Nasty Hyenas."

"How many is a couple?"

"Six."

"_Six_?"

"Yeah," Bandit said as though fighting six Mobians all at once was a normal everyday feat for someone to do. "So they jump me, right? First guy comes charging at me, but I busted him in the head with a trash can lid. One of the other hyenas had a switchblade on him, and manages to cut me while I was busy whaling away on another one of his pals. Typical coward move," Giving a snort of contempt, he unconsciously stroked his scar. "After I kicked his friend's tail, I started in on him and managed to get a hold of the knife - told him that he should've finished the job."

By this point, Antoine was wide-eyed and on the edge of his seat as he listened to Bandit's story. He found himself almost afraid to ask his next question, but he was dying to know what happened next. "Did… did you kill him?"

"Nah. I did knock his teeth out though. Last I heard, the guy needed a set of dentures so he could eat solid foods again. Anyways, seeing me still fighting with my face all bloody must've scared the other Hyenas, because they took off running when I came at them with their pal's switchblade in my hand. After that, I went home and got myself stitched up. And from that day forward, _nobody_ messed with me. Even the old-timers looked at me differently."

Antoine could not hide his amazement. "_Mon dieu_! I am thinking that you are having a very exciting life!"

"Exciting is a good word to describe it. Too bad you couldn't have been here back in the old days with me, Fee, Dag, and Slipp before all this crap with the Fat Man happened. That's not to say that I hate freedom fightin', but I tell you, back then, life was glorious."

Antoine was certain that the "good old days" Bandit was referring to was his way of life prior to Robotnik's occupation, when he had been a criminal. He had actually forgotten that the dog he was so casually conversing with was actually a felon until being reminded of the fact just now.

"I do not think that kind of life would be for _moi_," Antoine said, shaking his head. "I could not be a crim -" Realizing what he was about to say, he caught himself, not wanting to put his foot in his mouth like he usually tended to. "Wait, I mean -"

But Antoine failed to catch himself quickly enough. Bandit perked one furry ear up. "A what? Were you gonna say criminal?"

Antoine awkwardly shifted in place, not sure how he should respond. It hadn't been his intention to pick a fight with him. He liked Bandit too much to do that.

Sitting up, Bandit faced Antoine. He didn't appear to be offended thankfully, but his face was set in an expression of utmost solemnity. "Look Tony, I'm gonna let you on a little secret. "I know that in your world you guys probably have this rosy sanitized view of politicians and nobility and what not. But when you're one of the little guys, someone who doesn't have very much money or power, or any at all, those who are in power ain't exactly known for treating you with honesty and decency. You know when Robotnik took over, a lot of those same guys rolled right over for him? Now they pay him tribute just to keep their lands and save their skins. You know who did fight back? The gang and me, that's who. Even before all this happened, it wasn't like we were going around doing stuff like killing females and orphans. We ain't savages like the Hyenas are."

"Well… I suppose that when you are putting it that way, it is not sounding too bad. But I am still thinking my family would not have liked _moi_ being part of a gang." Antoine admitted. That was an understatement. His father and mother would have been downright furious if he had announced that he was joining up with a gang of highwayman. "You are still not robbing travelers, are you?" He inquired after a moment. Antoine just couldn't envision a situation where stealing from somebody who had done nothing wrong was justifiable. At least on the occasions when the Freedom Fighters would steal some device of some kind from Robotnik, it was to keep him from going through with some hideous scheme that would give him an edge over them or further endanger innocent Mobians.

"Personally? I don't. Kinda hard to rob folks when most of 'em have been turned into robots, after all. But even if that wasn't the case and I still was a highwayman, you shouldn't feel bad for some rich greedy schmuck who made the dumb mistake of traveling around poorly protected by himself. Half of 'em probably wouldn't even piss on you to put you out if you were on fire."

Bandit was beginning to remind Antoine of Stormblaze with all his talk of the gentry being corrupt and selfish. Perhaps both were onto something. The Freedom Fighters had received reports of Robotnik collaborators among a number of the nobility in various places. His eyes had been recently opened to the fact that Sally wasn't as saintly as he used to believe. Of course she wasn't paying Robotnik off or anything of the sort, but after thinking back on her behavior, he realized that aristocrats like her really weren't above being just as flawed as those who followed them. Antoine supposed that his infatuation with Sally had left him blind to that fact. Even before the rise of Robotnik, corrupt nobles weren't entirely unheard of in the Kingdom of Acorn. These things had never really crossed his mind much before. After all, most of the nobles he could remember from his youth had seemed righteous to him, and there was truth in Bandit's words: most troops in royal armies were taught to view their superiors in a positive light.

It was hard not to like Bandit. If someone had asked the old Antoine would he have ever thought that he could sit down and hold a civil conversation with someone like Bandit, he would have replied with an emphatic no. Antoine would have thought that a Mobian like him would be a detestable, bloodthirsty beast with no sense of honor, but Bandit was nothing like that. He had done nothing to hurt or deceive Antoine or Stormblaze, even when there had several opportunities for him to do so. Instead, Bandit had invited them into his abode after his gang had caused trouble for Antoine. If he had been standing next to Lupe, the terrier-mix's head would have barely even reached her shoulder, but in spite of his height, Bandit exuded boundless confidence and daring. In this way he reminded Antoine of Sonic, but unlike Sonic, who was often quite incredibly vainglorious about himself, Bandit generally seemed more casual about his talents and exploits, and definitely more down-to-earth and friendlier. Antoine also liked how Bandit led the Maddogs, finding a place for any Mobian who was capable of contributing something to the team to do so, not just a select few members like his best friends or individuals who possessing amazing abilities.

'_That is how a real leader should command a team_.' Antoine thought with admiration.

* * *

Every day, Antoine would tell himself that that would be the day he and Stormblaze left so they could resume their quest to find the Deep Power Stones. But as he came to discover, that was easier said than done. Every time the subject of leaving came up, he would devise some new excuse to stay with the Maddogs for an extra day. Now, five days had gone by.

It was a fascinating and different change of pace for him to spend time in the company of other canines, most of whom were either his own age or older. In Antoine's book, the Maddogs were just as great as the Wolf Pack was, just in a different way. He knew full-well that the old him likely would not have been accepted into the group, if at all. Antoine didn't strut around and boast like he used to back in Knothole Village, but he didn't allow himself to be intimidated by anybody and didn't back down from any challenges that came his way either. This seemed to gradually earn him the Maddogs' respect, as several of them didn't seem to know what to make of him and weren't very friendly towards him as a result.

The incident that firmly cemented the majority of the Maddogs' approval of him was when, purely on a whim, he decided to assist Barkerville, the Maddogs' head cook, in preparing lunch one day. The much older, slightly plump black Labrador retriever (whom Antoine suspected of having come from a wealthy background, what with his aristocratic airs) had lifted one onyx eyebrow and sniffed rather snootily when Antoine asked if he could help him and his assistant, a hound dog named Bando, but accepted Antoine's aid. Early on, Barkerville just seemed to be waiting for Antoine to slip up and make a mistake so that he could send him away, but when he didn't, finally started to accept his presence in the kitchen. He and Bando appreciated the extra help, though unlike Bando, Barkerville never openly admitted it.

However, Barkerville's attitude turned sour yet again once the food was finished and a number of the Maddogs praised Antoine's cooking when they all sat down for lunch. When one of the Maddogs even half-jokingly suggested that Antoine be allowed to take over the cooking, Barkerville practically exploded. The others had tried to pacify him, but it was quite apparent that Barkerville was jealous. After that incident, the head cook wouldn't have anything to do with Antoine if he could help it. For Antoine, it was strange to have someone actually who was envious of _him_ for a change, when typically it was the other way around. As far as Antoine was concerned, Barkerville could keep his job. While he liked to cook, it was just a hobby for him and nothing more. He wanted to be in the center of the action, not stuck in some hot kitchen. But as annoying as he found Barkerville however, he was not about to fight some fat, middle-aged Mobian. There was neither any sport nor honor in doing so. So he settled for giving his rival the cold shoulder instead. In private, Bandit explained to Antoine that Barkerville took a lot of pride in his culinary skills, and reassured him that he would speak with the Labrador retriever. It wasn't clear whether their talk had any real effect or not, as in the few recent times when Barkerville had to speak to Antoine for whatever reason, the conversation was very strained and curt. Although he didn't like knowing that someone disliked him, especially for such an absurd reason, Antoine was also used to it, and decided it really couldn't be helped.

Speaking of Mobians with poor attitudes, Dag was still tetchy whenever he addressed Antoine, but Antoine was starting to suspect that it was just the way he always was. He hadn't objected to Antoine's blossoming friendship with Bandit and the others, after all.

The more time Antoine spent with the Maddogs, the more reluctant to return to Knothole he became. After all, here he wasn't on the outside looking in. Even though by this point in his life he was accustomed to being on the fringes of a group, being a canine, a species which was naturally social, some part of him still desperately craved to belong somewhere. He really liked the fact that his presence seemed to be actually accepted by others and how he felt like he was actively contributing to a good cause.

And well, having more than a few lovely faces around didn't hurt either, Antoine thought, unable to resist grinning at the thought of the female Maddogs like Bridget, Fiona, Anubia, and of course, Juniper. However, when it came to Anubia, there was just a little something… well, _off_ about the magician that he had come to notice. Antoine had caught her staring at both him and Stormblaze more than once, and it definitely wasn't in a seductive manner either. He was sure Stormblaze had noticed her doing this as well. Anubia wasn't exactly unfriendly – somewhat aloof, that was certain, but neither did she act hostile or unwelcoming towards him or Stormblaze. When caught in the act of watching them, she never said anything, and would just eventually turn her attention elsewhere.

Where Juniper was concerned, Antoine wasn't exactly positive whether he truly liked her as more than a friend or not. Although he had been smitten (and honestly, still sort of was) by Juniper when he had first met her and was becoming quite friendly with the healer, they _had_ only known one another for a few days. He still really didn't know a great deal about her. Now that Antoine recognized his tendency to rush in headlong where it concerned someone who he thought could be his potential romantic match, he did not want to make the same error all over again here. Juniper herself gave no hint that she wanted their relationship to advance beyond friendship. Although Juniper didn't treat him like he was a liability or turn her nose up at him whenever he tried to do something helpful for her like Sally tended to do, he was still apprehensive about taking things a step further, as he did not want to be rebuffed by yet another girl. It just hurt too much. Now Antoine better understood why Stormblaze had said that he himself preferred to stay a bachelor.

* * *

Unlike Antoine, Stormblaze was _not_ enjoying himself. Oh sure, it wasn't like any of the Maddogs had really done anything to offend him. On the contrary, most were cordial towards him, and some of them even seemed somewhat intrigued by the rather mysterious equine who had shown up in Antoine's company. Frankly however, Stormblaze felt somewhat out of place there, being one of the very few non-canines around. He was more comfortable being around a more diverse crowd. But what was even worse was the fact that Antoine had basically started ignoring him. He was missing out on his swordsmanship lessons, and barely talked to Stormblaze anymore. Instead, he usually spent his time in the company of the Maddogs. Stormblaze had seen him with Bandit as the dog was telling him some story or something, and Antoine observing him with this look that most Mobians would have reserved for someone like a favorite teacher, or even an uncle or a father. Quite frankly, it made Stormblaze want to vomit. And when Stormblaze had gotten a look at whom the Maddogs had working for them as their medic, he finally understood why Antoine was so eager to stick around. He didn't want to believe that Antoine could be so irresponsible as to choose chasing after some girl over duty, but that almost certainly seemed to be the case.

Stormblaze had had enough. Now he was combing the base in search of Antoine. The little twit must have forgotten that they still needed to find the Deep Power Stones before Matthias Poe used them to free the most evil fell sorcerer that the world had ever seen. Determinedly the unicorn strode towards the commons, the last place he had left to look, and thinking of all the choice words that he was saving especially for Antoine.

French translations:

Excuses: Sorry.

Magnifique: Magnificent.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Trip was allowing Antoine to play a few chords on his guitar (or attempt to play, anyways). The unlikely pair was in the Commons, sitting together at a table. During this time of the evening, the area was mostly deserted, allowing them to play without disturbing anyone or vice-versa. Antoine didn't know how Trip made playing the guitar look so effortless. As he struck another series of sour notes, he pulled a face, but Trip didn't appear to mind, and only offered him encouragement and tips. Antoine had never played a musical instrument before, but did appreciate music, even though his own personal tastes tended to lean more towards classical styles. Still though, admittedly there was something strangely appealing to him about the jangly sound of the guitar, and when the temptation had become too great to pass up, he had paused to ask Trip some questions about his guitar.

"And you say the ladies are liking males who can play the guitar?" Antoine looked to Trip, who nodded and flashed him a knowing grin in return.

"Let me tell you something, little dude: back when I was touring with my band, we had to like, beat the chicks off with sticks! They were always flockin' around to listen to us."

Antoine decided that he quite liked the sound of that. He wondered if he should try to learn how to play the guitar when he sighted Stormblaze coming their way. He stopped to wave at him, as did Trip. "Hey Stormblaze! Trip is showing _moi_ how to play the guitar. _Femmes_ love it, and apparently you are needing to fight them off with sticks to get keep them from going crazy for you!"

"… Right." Deciding that he didn't even want to know what in the world Antoine was going on about, Stormblaze looked to Trip. "Pardon me, but I must speak with my colleague here in private."

"Sure dude." Trip genially replied to his polite request.

Antoine regarded Stormblaze quizzically, but got up and followed him as he left the Commons. They wound up inside a storage room, but not before Stormblaze took care to make sure it was emptied of any potential eavesdroppers first.

"What is it that you are wanting to speak to _moi_ about, Stormblaze?" Antoine asked him.

"Why, I'm surprised you still remember my name."

There was something about his tone that Antoine didn't care for. "And just what are you meaning by that?" he demanded sharply, glaring at Stormblaze.

Stormblaze stared back, wondering if Antoine was truly that oblivious. "What I mean is that since we have been here, you have barely said more than ten words to me." Ten words might have been an exaggeration, but Stormblaze felt that his point still stood.

"Is that it? I think you are doing the exaggerating, Stormblaze," Antoine lightly retorted, not taking him seriously. "If you are really feeling that way, then perhaps you should be making the effort to speak with _moi_ more."

"Except that you are almost always gone or busy cavorting with one of _them_."

Antoine knew perfectly well that the 'them' Stormblaze meant were the Maddogs, or at least the ones that he was friendly with. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You are being jealous?" He laughed. "That is silly! I am thinking you need to go to bed."

Stormblaze's ears flicked back at Antoine's derisive tone. "I am serious, you little furball. Not only have you been completely ignoring me, but our quest. Remember that? You're sitting around here taking guitar lessons while that maniac Poe is out there doing the Source knows what with the Stones! What is the matter with you?"

Realizing that Stormblaze had a point, Antoine frowned thoughtfully. Stormblaze was right – about the quest, anyways. Somehow, he _had_ completely forgotten about it. He had made a deal with Stormblaze to help find the Deep Power Stones, and it would be beyond dishonorable to turn his back on him after having made a vow in the first place. The D'Coolette family motto was 'Death before Dishonor', and Antoine had always tried to take those words very seriously, especially now. "_Oui_, well, I will still be assisting you because I am a male of my word. But afterwards I must be returning here, as I am being Bandit's honored guest." He proclaimed, tilting his pointed muzzle up into the air, obviously proud of his recent achievements.

Antoine's smug attitude irritated Stormblaze even further. Weeks of pent-up frustration was about to unleash itself. "Do not act like you are doing me a favor," He seethed. "Whether you return to that backwater village of your's or stay here with these yahoos is no concern of mine's. In fact, with the manner in which you have been behaving recently, these mongrels are probably the only creatures who can still tolerate being anywhere near you!"

Antoine could only stare at Stormblaze, shocked by his words before literally bristling with anger. "It is nice to be knowing how you _really_ feel."

"Well, one good turn deserves another, I believe." Stormblaze icily shot back. "Perhaps you should go find your little girlfriend and allow her to soothe your bruised ego."

Antoine felt a flush of embarrassment at hearing Juniper referred to as his girlfriend, but his anger quickly overshadowed his discomfiture. "Leave her out of this! Just because you are hating _femmes_ does not mean I have to!"

Neither said anything more, glaring daggers at one another instead. Finally, the heated staring contest came to an end when Antoine did the only thing he could think of doing: turning on his heel, he stormed out of the room.

* * *

Stormblaze stalked through the base, long face set in a dour scowl as Antoine's words still reverberated through his mind. Eventually coming across one of the exits, he scaled up the wall-mounted ladder and forced the cover open. Emerging outside, he was greeted by heaps of rusted hovercraft, old refrigerators, shabby mattresses, and other refuse, and sighed deeply. He hated seeing so much unsightly trash lying around like this. It was an ugly blemish on the land. While he could admit that a junkyard was a clever location in which to have a hidden base, the place still repulsed him. He didn't understand why Overlanders couldn't just leave nature be. One would think that since they shared the planet (well, the few who hadn't left Mobius after losing the Great War in search of new worlds to settle – or to conquer, like the unicorn personally believed), they would be more mindful of how they treated it.

Stormblaze started walking. He didn't really know where he was going; he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts, and for him, being outside was the most desirable location for this. He was furious at Antoine, and didn't know what to do. Duty demanded that he continue with the quest and leave Antoine behind. Doing so would save him the headache of having to deal with Antoine's attitude problem. But a small voice in the corner of his mind suddenly posed a question to him: did he really want to leave Antoine here without trying to get to the bottom of what his problem was, or at least without saying goodbye?

Coming upon a crumpled soda can in his path, Stormblaze savagely kicked at it, sending it flying out of view. Instead of hearing a metallic clatter, which should have been produced as the can struck the ground or something, Stormblaze distinctly heard a heavy, annoyed voice cry out, "Hey, watch it man!"

Going over to where the shout had come from, Stormblaze found Trip sitting atop a battered washing machine, holding the soda can in one hand and his guitar in the other.

"My apologies. It was not my intention to strike you." Stormblaze honestly said. If Trip was out here, then where had Antoine run off to, he wondered?

"No worries, man," Casually pitching the can over his shoulder, Trip peered up at him. "Hey brother, you cool?"

Stormblaze said nothing, looking down at the Chinese crested dog as he considered the question. "Not particularly," He replied at length. "My body temperature is normal, so I would hardly describe it as cool."

"Naw, man," Guffawing, Trip waved a hand through the air as if to dismiss Stormblaze's answer. "I mean like, are you alright? Your aura seems like, totally bummed out or somethin'."

Stormblaze saw no real harm in confiding in Trip. Doing so might alleviate his frustration and help him sort himself out. _'Even if his manner of speech is about as unusual as a certain Mercian's'_, Stormblaze wryly thought. For all his harsh words against the Maddogs before, Trip was hardly any threat to him. His emotions were like an open book for Stormblaze to read. He projected concern for Stormblaze, but at the same time, complete serenity as well.

"Well, recently, something strange has occurred to a friend of mine's -" Stormblaze started to say, but not wanting to make the identity of the individual he was speaking of obvious, quickly threw in, "Back home. I do not know exactly what though, as he will not confide in me about it. He is like a complete stranger now. We quarreled and I might have… well, more or less told him that I thought he was a dolt and that I did not care about him."

"Hmm," Trip's long thin fingers experimentally plucked a few guitar strings. "Well, do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Not care about him?"

When Stormblaze didn't immediately answer, Trip stopped what he was doing. "Dude, it's totally cool to care about another dude. I think the world would be a lot better off if, like, all dudes loved their brothers. I love Bandit and Oskar and Illya and Dag and -"

"Yes, I see your point," Stormblaze hastily cut Trip off before he could prattle on any further. "I can honestly say that I do care about him. My friend is good at heart. He can be rather eccentric, but well, so am I. I believe that is part of the reason why we are able to get on as well as we do. I miss the person he was before, even if he does not."

"So you two like, normally don't fight?"

"There have been minor disagreements between us before, but never anything like this."

Stormblaze waited for him to say something, but when the silence just dragged on and on, he wondered what Trip was doing. He was just sitting there, seeming to stare off into space, and the fact that Stormblaze was unable to see anything of his eyes honestly left him a little disturbed. He politely cleared his throat to get Trip's attention.

"Pardon me, but-"

Trip snapped out of his musing as if a switch had been flipped on inside his head, startling Stormblaze a bit. "Right man, so here's what you gotta do: wait before you talk to him, but like, don't wait too long. Just 'till you and him have cooled off. When you do, sit down with him and tell him that you didn't mean what you said before. He should know that you wanna save your friendship. Maybe he'll open up to you, maybe he won't. Just give it some time. It takes work to keep a friendship going, y'know?"

'_That was surprisingly insightful coming from someone like him,'_ Stormblaze mused. He guessed it just went to show that one should never judge a book by its cover. "Your counsel is sound. I will do as you advise. Thank you for listening." Dipping his head to Trip in a show of respect, Stormblaze took his leave. Trip waved goodbye to him before returning his attention to his guitar.

Stormblaze decided he would go to a meadow in the vicinity of the gulch that he had taken notice of previously. There, he intended to relax under the stars and think of what he should say to Antoine. Behind him, he could hear Trip launch into a slow melodic tune. That had to have been one of the strangest conversations he had ever had before, but it had benefitted him. It made Stormblaze realize he didn't really want to abandon Antoine to himself after all. True friends were hard to come by, especially for someone like him.

* * *

In the same field that Stormblaze had visited the previous night Antoine now stood, resting against a tree as he appreciated the halcyon weather. Being cooped up in the Maddogs' base could become somewhat… restrictive after a while. That was at least one thing Knothole Village had going for it: the individual above-ground huts and tree houses. He supposed an underground base was ultimately safer than either a hut or a tree house in the case that Robotnik ever chose to launch an aerial assault, but he had started feeling like a gopher stuck under the earth here.

Standing there, Antoine found himself relishing the sensation of the sun warming his uniform and fur. He had calmed down since last night's argument with Stormblaze, but the unicorn's words still rankled at him. He couldn't understand why Stormblaze was so angry. Alright, so the more he thought about it, maybe he _had_ kind of forgotten about Stormblaze (and subsequently the quest), but it wasn't like Antoine was trying to intentionally ignore him. He had just gotten caught up in the fun and excitement of being with the Maddogs. Shouldn't Stormblaze have been happy that Antoine was carving out a place for himself here and making more friends who were better than his old so-called friends?

Worst of all, Stormblaze had told Antoine that he didn't care about him. What happened to the promise that Stormblaze had made to him back they were going to Rose Creek to find Tomlan? Was he jealous of Bandit and the Maddogs, or had his vow just been a lie all along? Antoine sincerely hoped it was the former. Granted, he didn't think he needed anymore training, since it seemed like he was doing just fine without it, but he didn't wish to stop being friends with Stormblaze, as annoying as he could be at times. If Stormblaze couldn't get along with Bandit, then the least he could do was be polite to him and the other Maddogs. After all, Bandit didn't _have_ to let them stay at his base.

Antoine had played around with the idea of apologizing to Stormblaze, but wasn't sure if he could face him just yet. After all, deep down he was still upset, and Stormblaze might be as well. Their talk could very well transform into another argument.

'_Maybe,'_ the cold voice from within that had spoken to him a few times before suddenly began, _'He's actually jealous of _you_. Look at you. You don't need him anymore. He _wants_ you to have to rely on him. He's just mad that other Mobians have started taking notice of you and your talents. He's -' _

Becoming aware of the sound of a light object rolling softly across the grass, Antoine glanced up to see what it was. A red ball rolled up to his feet and stopped there. Blinking in befuddlement, and still stupefied from where his train of thought had just taken him, he stared at it. A few minutes later, three children, two girls and a boy who he recognized as being a part of the group of orphans the Maddogs cared for, ran into view. One of them, the crimson and white male puppy who looked vaguely like a bulldog, called out to Antoine, "Little help?"

"Little help what?" A feminine voice suddenly broke in. Immediately recognizing the speaker, Antoine visibly perked up. As expected, it was Juniper, with the rest of the children trailing in her wake.

Looking chastised, the bulldog-mix repeated in a more courteous tone, "A little help, please?"

Juniper presented the pup with a smile of approval. "Much better."

Picking the ball up, Antoine tossed it to the expectant bulldog-mix, who grinned and thanked him before he and his two friends ran off to continue their game, pursued by three more of their compatriots.

"Don't go too far!" Juniper shouted after them.

"We won't!"

The rest of the children, meanwhile, played nearby. Juniper strolled over to where Antoine was. "Hi there. Your nose is looking better."

"_Bonjour_, _mademoiselle_. _Oui_, the medicine that you were giving me really helped. I am glad to finally be looking like _mon_ old self again." He said with a smile, raising a hand to rub the bridge of his muzzle. He was also glad that he could finally speak to Juniper without tripping over his tongue now – well, not as much as he did before, anyways.

Juniper chuckled. "You know, when I found out I was allergic to prickly pear fruit – I ate a muffin that had prickly pear jam on it - my eyes got all red and watery, and my nose swelled up like a balloon. I looked _way_ worse then you did!"

Antoine had a difficult time envisioning Juniper looking anything but beautiful. "I cannot be imagining that," He seriously said. Now that Juniper was here with him, he found his mood beginning to improve. "What is bringing all of you out here?"

"Well, it's a real pretty day out, don't you think? I can't stay cooped up in there all the time, and neither can these guys," She explained, turning her gaze to the children. "So the other Maddogs and I like to bring them topside to play when it's alright to." She peered more closely at him, studying him. "Something the matter?"

"No. Why are you asking?"

Smirking, Juniper cocked a thin eyebrow. "Has anyone ever told you that you're not very good at lying?"

Antoine had to laugh in spite of himself. He _had_ heard that before, usually from Bunnie or one of the other Freedom Fighters. "Well… before Stormblaze and I were coming here, we were being on a quest to find some missing artifacts. He wants to leave so we can finish it, but I am not wanting to rush off so quickly. Not because I am scared to go - it is just that I enjoy being here. It is nice to be feeling like I finally fit in somewhere. When it comes to my old home, I… have not felt this same way about it for a very long time."

"I know how you feel," Juniper said, giving him a look of understanding. "This place is a second home for me too now. I used to live in the southwestern region of the Great Continent, in a place called Painted Rock. My village was destroyed by Robotnik, and everybody but me was captured. My grandmother told me to run and hide, and I did. It was Bandit and Trip who found me, and long story short, I decided to leave Painted Rock with them. I couldn't stay there anymore." Brushing some locks of hair from over her left eye, the coyote glanced away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to turn this onto me like that."

Antoine was anything but offended. On the contrary, he was moved by what she had just revealed, and wanted to do everything in his power to comfort Juniper. "Oh no, I am not minding one bit!" He fell silent, almost at a loss as to what he should do or say next. He nearly reached for her hand, but stopped himself, not sure what her reaction to such a gesture might be. "That is being such a sad tale. No one should ever lose their family, especially in such a horrible way!"

"It's okay, Antoine. Since I've been here, I've been doing better. Some days are better than others though." She said softly, beaming at him to reassure him, although her smile was somewhat strained. "Anyways, let's get back to you and your problems. Did something happen between you and Edward?"

"Well, last night we began arguing about the quest and what we should do, and it became... how you say… terrible? Ugly?" He looked to her for confirmation that he had used the proper term.

"Ugly." Juniper nodded to let him know he had gotten the expression correct. "Hmm. On a scale from one to ten, just how important is this quest?"

"Um… about an eight. Maybe a ten." He admitted guiltily.

"I think you need to talk with Edward. If you two really are good friends, then you should be able to reach an agreement and patch things up between yourselves. And if your quest is that important, then why not finish it? Once you guys get it taken care of, you can come back here."

Her suggestion was such an obvious solution that Antoine could have kicked himself for not thinking of it first. "Why that is being a brilliant idea, _mademoiselle_ Juniper!"

That characteristic glint of good humor reappeared in Juniper's eyes. "I'm a woman. What did you expect?"

The two of them had become so engrossed in their discussion that they had failed to notice Bandit, Suki, and Bonehead heading their way. Spotting the adults, the children ran up to greet the trio, who returned the affection. Among the young Mobians, the three were well-liked. Bonehead picked up three of the children and allowed to sit atop his massive shoulders.

"Tony! There you are!" Bandit animatedly exclaimed, drawing both Antoine and Juniper's attention. "Look, I know you and Eddie said you gotta leave in a couple of days. But you also said that you aren't aligned with any other groups. You're more than welcome to join up with us if you like."

"That's right," Bonehead smiled good-naturedly at the awestruck teen. "You can be a real Maddog, just like us!"

"_Moi_? A Maddog?" Antoine found himself completely taken aback by Bandit's offer. It really meant a lot to him that they even considered him worthy of joining their ranks.

Suki set her hands on her hips. "Well? You gonna say yes? Or are you gonna get all misty-eyed on us?"

It was a tempting offer. Antoine glanced over at Juniper to see her reaction. "It's entirely up to you, Antoine." She said, presenting him with an encouraging smile.

"What about Sto - Edward?" Antoine asked, glad he had prevented himself from letting Edward's true name slip out.

Bandit, Suki, and Bonehead traded a look between themselves before Bandit shrugged. "Well, we ain't never had a Mobian who wasn't a dog or something officially join before, but if he wants to come aboard, the more the merrier."

It took Antoine a moment to gather his thoughts, which were swirling around in his head like a leaf caught in a whirlpool, and respond to them. "Could I please be having time to think about this?"

"Sure! No pressure." Bandit answered nonchalantly. After Bonehead had set the children back down on the ground, he, Suki, and Bandit turned to go, but not before Bandit patted Antoine on the back.

* * *

As he stood outside his and Stormblaze's sleeping quarters, Antoine found himself beset by apprehension. He knew Stormblaze was inside – lately, unless he had to eat or the like, or went topside, he had basically confined himself to the room. How would Stormblaze react to what he was going to tell him? Since their argument, he and Stormblaze had exchanged a few words whenever they crossed paths, but they were brief and awkward.

As reluctant as he was to speak to Stormblaze however, experience had taught Antoine that when it came to making major decisions, especially ones that might affect other Mobians somehow, it was a good idea to discuss it with someone, said Mobians in particular, first. Otherwise, jumping in without thinking things through tended to result in a lot of problems. This needed to be done.

Antoine knocked at the door, and waited to get permission from Stormblaze before entering. He saw Stormblaze relaxing on his cot and reading a book.

'_Deep breath.'_ Antoine reminded himself. "Are you being busy?" He asked.

Curious as to why Antoine had come to see him, Stormblaze put his book down. "Did you want something?"

"There is something important I am needing to tell you. Bandit – he was giving _moi_ the offer of joining his Maddogs. And he said that you can join too! I was thinking that after we are finding the Stones, we can come back here!" He was grinning now, excited at the prospect of he and Stormblaze becoming official Maddogs. "How is that sounding?"

Recovering from his astonishment to the unexpected announcement, Stormblaze made himself look away from the other's hopeful eyes. "Antoine, I cannot remain here," He quietly said. "Remember before, when I told you that I have to try and locate other unicorns out there?"

"But surely if you were telling Bandit the truth about yourself, he – we – could help you search! It would be good to have more hands helping you, _oui_?"

Stormblaze's troubled expression quashed whatever little bit of hope Antoine had of getting him to go along with his idea. "I… I just don't know about any of this. I have no wish to be tied down to another group of Freedom Fighters again. I feel as though I have a destiny, and it does not lay here, not in some – some junkyard."

The way his lip curled in disgust when he said "junkyard" did not escape Antoine's notice. _'He's _still_ doing it!'_ Antoine thought - still refusing to give Bandit and the Maddogs a chance.

It was Stormblaze who finally spoke again. "Is that all then?" His tone carried a hopeful question to it as he watched Antoine expectantly.

"I am supposing it is." Antoine replied somewhat frostily, much to Stormblaze's disappointment. Antoine's body language - creased brow, mouth downturned in a sulky frown, folded arms – spoke volumes. He still wasn't very good at hiding his emotions.

There was more silence as the two tried to look everywhere but at one another. "So," Antoine began, trying to be casual, "When are we leaving to finish the quest?"

"Well, I know that I am leaving tomorrow." Stormblaze flatly answered. He wished he could give Antoine the benefit of the doubt, but he would not have been very surprised if Antoine concocted some new excuse to stay behind.

Antoine nodded stiffly. He had to wonder how he and Stormblaze would be able to finish their quest together when it seemed like they could barely get along anymore. Maybe it would be for the best that he remained there with the Maddogs…

Feeling positively miserable, Stormblaze decided that he wanted this train wreck of a discussion to end. He picked his book back up, though he doubted he was going to get much reading done now. "Well… I hope you enjoy yourself here then."

"_Merci_." Antoine stiffly nodded to Stormblaze before walking out and shutting the door behind him.

He supposed that was that. Stormblaze was an adult, and he couldn't make him stay with the Maddogs if he didn't want to. He could still hear the voice telling him that Stormblaze actually wanted him to remain dependent on him, and resented Antoine now because he no longer did. That had been an exceedingly strange moment, to say the least. It almost hadn't really even sounded like his inner voice thinking those things. It had sounded so cold, so venomous. He wasn't sure if that's what disturbed him more, or the fact that he knew it really _was_ him thinking that.

Honestly though, a while ago he had started to worry that he was relying on Stormblaze to watch out and fight for him too much. He was not about to start doing _that_ with Stormblaze or anyone else ever again. He did not want to believe that envy was the real cause of Stormblaze's bitterness, but some of the things Stormblaze had said did make him wonder…

Antoine decided to go find Bandit. He was told by one of the Maddogs that he was topside, looking through the junkyard for a component to fix a broken radio. Sure enough, a jaunt through the junkyard ultimately turned up the terrier-mix, who was rooting through a toolbox containing assorted electronic parts. He glanced up as Antoine strode towards him. "Hey there Tony! What brings you out here?"

"I was giving your proposal much thinking, and I would be most honored to be joining the Maddogs." He answered in a tone of finality.

Beaming broadly, Bandit set the toolbox aside and came over to give Antoine's shoulder a friendly slap. "Great! Hey, if you're gonna be one of us, then you're gonna need a nickname you know."

"A nickname? What is being wrong with the name I am already having?" Antoine asked, slightly offended. Personally, he liked his name, and really didn't mind being called Tony either.

Bandit looked at Antoine, amusement etched on his face. "Do you think my mom really named me the Smiling Bandit?"

Antoine supposed that Bandit might be onto something. "Well… what were some of your ideas being?"

"Okay, okay, get this," Bandit eagerly spread his hands out in front of him. "Tony the Shiv."

Antoine stared blankly at him. "I am not even knowing what a shiv is."

Undaunted by Antoine's lack of enthusiasm, Bandit moved onto his next suggestion. "Well, what about Tony the Carver? Or Killer Tony?"

"But I have never been killing anyone before!" Antoine protested.

"Yeah, but your enemies don't know that. And that's the entire point. You gotta sound intimidating!"

"Hey there, boys." Fiona's maroon-haired head peered down at Antoine and Bandit from where she stood atop the rim of the gorge. Moving carefully but quickly, she made her way down the gorge's steep side using natural purchases in the dry, vivid reddish-brown earth, and came over to where they were. "If the two of you don't mind, I need a couple of big strong males to give lil' old me a helping hand." Slinking past Antoine and wearing a sly leer on her face, Fiona deliberately brushed the tip of her tail under the startled coydog's nose. Turning back to face him and Bandit, she smirked triumphantly when she saw a wide, dopey grin overtake his face.

"What is it that you are needing, _mademoiselle_?" Antoine enthusiastically asked her. He wasn't used to a female behaving in such a manner around him, but he would be lying if he said that he didn't like it.

Bandit, on the other hand, just lightly rolled his eyes and shook his head in mock disapproval at the scene. Having known Fiona since he was an adolescent, by now he was pretty used to her using her feminine wiles to get what she wanted from males. He prided himself on not being so easily enraptured by a pretty face.

"I found a crashed hovercraft on the road a few miles from here." Fiona explained, her flirtatious air gone for the moment. "There's no fuel in it, but it looks like it's still in pretty decent shape. I thought we might be able to get some use out of it."

"Well, lead the way then." Bandit replied.

He and Antoine followed Fiona as she led them to where she said the hovercraft was located. When they arrived on the scene however, Antoine couldn't see any hovercraft in sight. There was a blackish-brown puddle of spilled fuel on the ground, but that was it.

Bandit looked to his deputy. "Looks like someone beat you to it in claiming it."

Unleashing a frustrated growl, Fiona gazed around the area. "I can't believe it!" She moved off towards the scrub that grew along the roadside. "I'm gonna check in here. Maybe they stashed it or something."

"I will help, _mademoiselle_." Antoine volunteered, preparing to start after her. He heard the attack coming before he actually saw it, and froze, using his senses to try and determine exactly where the danger was. He couldn't quite recognize exactly what he was hearing, but he just knew that the three of them weren't alone there. He opened his mouth to shout a warning to Bandit and Fiona, but the words caught in his throat as a weighted mesh net sailed through the air and enveloped Bandit and himself. Bandit swore loudly as he and Antoine clawed at the mesh and tried to push it off themselves, but the cumbersome material made their task difficult.

Almost as if on cue, shouts rang out through the air, and the beat of numerous pairs of feet hitting the ground converged towards them. Antoine managed to count at least twenty police officers swarming around them, dressed in the dark blue and black uniforms of their station. Nearly all of them had weapons, which consisted of tazers and billy clubs, out and ready to use. One large bull seemed to be the one in charge, as he tended to shout a lot of commands at the other officers, who obediently complied. They surrounded Bandit and Antoine.

"Try to escape," warned one officer who jabbed his nightstick at them as he did, "And we'll bust your heads wide open."

The mass of police officers parted to make way for another Mobian, this one a finely-dressed tomcat with long, impeccably groomed fur that was chocolate-brown save for a collar of white going around his neck and splashing his muzzle, hands, and tail. An aura of self-importance and authority surrounded the stranger, who was surveying Antoine and Bandit with a lofty expression. Even though Antoine had never seen him before, he could take a good guess at his identity.

As the cat stepped forward to size the two captives up, Bandit grinned lazily at him. "Hey there, Kassie. What are you doin' out here with all us _hoi polloi_? I thought you preferred sitting back and getting wasted on wine while your henchmen did your dirty work for you."

One of the police officers made to strike Bandit with his nightstick, but Kasimir stopped him with a raised hand. Returning his attention to Bandit, Kasimir lifted his upper lip in the semblance of a smile – although it was really more of an unpleasant sneer that showed off his flawless white fangs. "And miss the opportunity to see you finally be carted off to jail where you belong? No, this is an opportunity I wouldn't miss for anything."

A familiar blaze of deep red and white caught Antoine's eye, and he turned his head to try and get a better look at it. Fiona had come out of the brush. He started to yell at her to go get help, but as he continued observing her, something about the fox's behavior struck him as being very wrong. She could see everything that was going on, and yet she didn't seem upset or angry that he and Bandit had been captured, or aghast at the sight of their enemies congregating together like this. The sudden realization of what had _really_ happened hit Antoine with the force of a falling boulder and left him feeling sick to his stomach.

As she approached Kasimir, Fiona allowed the feline to take her graceful hand in his in a regal gesture and kiss it. "You performed wonderfully, my dear lady."

Pleased with his praise, Fiona smiled before glancing over at Bandit and Antoine. "Aww, no wisecracks this time, Bandit? Cat got your tongue?" She cooed mockingly. Kasimir chuckled nastily.

Bandit was indeed at a loss for words at his friend's duplicity. He could only gape at her before finally giving a shake of his shaggy head. "Nope," He replied, newfound disdain for Fiona evident on his face and in his voice. "They say trash attracts trash, so I guess this was inevitable, huh?" He shrugged before turning hard eyes back to Kasimir. "Kassie, you can dress yourself up in the best clothes, wear the most expensive colognes, and live in the biggest house on the block, but none of that'll ever hide the fact that you're a no good brother-murderin' traitor to your own kind."

By now, Antoine had gotten over his shock and was just staring at the gloating couple with deep loathing. Kasimir ignored him, focusing his attention on Bandit instead. "All I hear is your futile barking, dog! Remind me, who's the one who's trapped here? You may have had a few victories, but it looks like I've won the war."

"Look, why don't you let the kid here go at least? If you do, I promise to go with your goon squad here, free of charge."

Kasimir scoffed. "Oh, let him go so he can run back and tell your other flea-bitten friends what's happened so they can mount a rescue? Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

The net was yanked off the two canines, and several officers hurried to restrain Bandit and Antoine. "Be careful, that one's dangerous." One of them cautioned his cohorts, pointing to Bandit.

Antoine tensed as one police officer came towards him holding a pair of handcuffs. There was no way that he was going to allow himself to be handcuffed like some common thug or something. He prepared to spring at the other Mobian to knock him down, but Bandit saw what he was about to do. "Don't." He whispered, shooting him a warning glare. "There's just too many of 'em."

Antoine did as he was told, though as the cuffs were slapped around his wrists and locked together with a snap, his flattened ears clearly exhibited his displeasure with the entire situation.

The entire time, Fiona and Kasimir had stood back and watched everything. Kasimir still quite literally looked like the cat that had swallowed the canary, while Fiona was acting as though she was watching a very entertaining movie.

"Hold on…" Going up to Bandit, Fiona shot out a gloved hand and snatched the bandanna from around his neck. "I'll need this to show to the others as evidence of your 'tragic disappearance'. I don't think you'll be needing it where you're going." She grinned.

"If the two of you are thinking that you will be getting away with this, then you are wrong!" Antoine said loudly. "Someone will be finding us. And traitors _always_ get what is coming to them!" He aimed another pointed glare in Fiona's direction.

Kasmir turned his bored gaze onto Antoine. "And now the puppy yaps." His verbal jab earned laughter from Fiona and the police.

As their jeering laughter rang in his ears, Antoine saw red. After his victory over the Skinwalker, he had sworn an oath to himself that he would never again allow himself to be laughed at by others. Teeth bared in a decidedly murderous-looking snarl, Antoine lunged at Kasimir, but a nightstick brought down on his skull dropped him to the ground.

His outburst left both Kasimir and Fiona somewhat shaken, but when it was clear that Antoine was under control once more, they calmed down. Kasimir looked to the police captain. "If they continue being difficult, do what you must to keep them in line short of killing them. I want to reserve that pleasure for myself."

Translations:

Hoi polloi: Greek expression meaning "the many"; a derogatory term used to refer to the working class, commoners, etc.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

In the junkyard, a sandskimmer sunning itself on an old orange crate gave a start as the sleek figure of a coyote stepped into view and cast a dark shadow over him. Frightened by the sudden interruption, the small creature bolted, slipping away through one of the spaces between the boards of the crate.

For her part, Juniper paid the animal no mind, moving past the crate to survey the rest of the junkyard. It was a large area covering a lot of ground, but she was willing to do the legwork to locate her quarry.

'_Okay, Bandit. You're not inside, so you must be out here somewhere.'_ She needed to ask Bandit if he would be willing to let her travel to a neighboring territory to purchase a new supply of a medicinal herb called bitterroot there, since her own stash was close to running out. But it would seem that Bandit was nowhere to be found.

Thinking that she heard something just then, she looked all around, pointed ears twisting and rotating to catch any other sounds, but whatever was responsible had fallen silent now. Her eyes didn't perceive anything out of the ordinary either. Still, a sense that went beyond her physical senses told her she wasn't alone. It was probably just one of the other Maddogs, or some kind of animal skittering around, she tried to reason with herself.

"Who's there? Bandit?" She called out hopefully.

Receiving no answer, Juniper frowned, shook her head, and went on with her search. Suddenly, she caught sight of a strange shadowed figure rising from atop one of the sandy dunes that loomed up behind her. Letting out a yip of alarm, she stumbled back, away from the mysterious individual. Too unnerved to pay any attention to where she was going, the healer very nearly tripped and fell into some brush, but succeeded in catching herself in time.

In short order, the bright afternoon sunlight revealed the true identity of the wild-haired figure as it peered down at her from its perch. Juniper sighed in relief. "Oh Trip, it's just you!"

Half-running, half-sliding his way down the dune, Trip approached Juniper, clearly concerned. "Chill, little sister. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"Don't worry about it. I know you didn't." She reassured him. Although a number of the other Maddogs simply regarded Trip as a spacey oddball, Juniper liked his open-minded and laidback nature. "Have you seen Bandit around anywhere? I haven't seen him all day."

Trip's face fell. "Aw man, don't tell me Bandit's gone too! I was just out here trying to find Tony. I've been showing the little dude how to play the guitar, but I haven't seen him since this morning."

"First Bandit and now Antoine?" Juniper frowned. "This isn't like Bandit at all. He would tell us if he was going somewhere. And I don't think Antoine would just up and leave like this either."

Trip gasped as a frightening thought suddenly occurred to him. "What if… they were abducted by aliens?!"

"_Aliens?_" Even though she was worried about their missing friends, Juniper couldn't resist giggling at how Trip's train of thought had completely jumped its rails. "I think they might have better things to do with their time then visit Mobius and bother us Mobians, Trip. Let's set the conspiracy theories aside for now. I think -"

"Conspiracy theories?" Echoed a familiar voice. As they both glanced up at the same time, Juniper and Trip saw Fiona coming their way, giving Trip an exasperated look all the while. "Trip, I thought I told you before - Robotnik is just an Overlander, _not_ an alien reptoid. He looks like he might've eaten a few reptoids though." She snickered at her own wisecrack.

Trip shook his head. "It's not that, Fee. Bandit and Tony are missing!"

Fiona's countenance turned thoughtful. "The last time I saw them – either of them - they were out here. You checked HQ?"

"Yeah. I didn't even know Antoine was missing until Trip told me just now." Juniper said.

"Well, just keep looking. I'll ask around and see if I can't find those silly boys." Fiona assured them before turning to go inside.

Fiona, Juniper, and Trip were totally unaware that someone had overheard their conversation. Further away from the trio, concealed behind an eight-foot high tower of crushed vehicles, Stormblaze remained where he was as Juniper and Trip decided to extend their search efforts into the area around the junkyard. He had come out here trying to locate Antoine himself, having grown worried when he hadn't seen him around for the past few hours. Initially, Stormblaze had merely assumed that Antoine was off somewhere sulking or something after their most recent 'conversation', but he wasn't so sure about that now.

Fiona may have successfully fooled her pack mates, but her silver-tongued charms hadn't worked on Stormblaze. The instant she had opened her mouth, he knew that she knew more then what she was letting onto. Wondering if the vixen had any knowledge of Bandit and Antoine's actual whereabouts, Stormblaze made up his mind to find out. But how to do so without alerting Fiona to what he knew?

He got his chance later on that evening when he noticed Fiona slipping out into the junkyard. Stormblaze had chosen not to say anything of his suspicions about her to the other Maddogs, or what he was planning to do. It was a potentially risky decision on his part, as he would not have any backup to rely on should he wind up in trouble, but he didn't want Fiona tipped off to the fact that he knew she was up to something.

He had also chosen to leave his longbow and spatha behind. They weren't the most concealable weapons after all, and would only raise questions if someone happened to see him carrying them. But he wouldn't be completely defenseless – he had his natural weaponry to rely on.

Opening one of the exits that led outside, Stormblaze cautiously peered around before fully emerging out into the open. He couldn't see Fiona yet, and decided to hide while he waited for her to show herself. Finally, he spotted her walking into view. Fiona had donned a black jacket, the hood of which was pulled up over her head. It would seem as though she didn't want to be spotted.

Carefully, Stormblaze trailed after Fiona as she left the junkyard and took one of the main roads. It led to a decidedly posh-looking neighborhood that was located on the outskirts of the city. As he walked, his hooves tread the ground noiselessly. It was a talent that all unicorns possessed, allowing them to move around anywhere undetected. As he followed his quarry, he found himself thinking about the spat he had had with Antoine that morning.

"_Whether you return to that backwater village of your's or stay here with these yahoos is no concern of mine's."_

That had been a lie. Stormblaze did find himself caring what Antoine chose to do. Perhaps the old Stormblaze would have decided that he didn't need Antoine anymore and left him behind, but the new Stormblaze could not do that. As much as Antoine had changed, he was still his friend, and Stormblaze would not turn his back on a friend. Not only that, but if Antoine was hurt or in some kind of trouble, then he would require help.

Eventually, Stormblaze tailed Fiona to a large three-story manor house surrounded by an eight-foot high wall made of white stone, with an iron-wrought gate bordered by two stone columns barring the entranceway. He could see the warm golden glow of light shining through the house's many frosted windows. Stormblaze had seen this place before from a distance, when he and Antoine had gone with the Maddogs on their mission to Carnia Penitentiary. According to them, the manor had once been the home of Kasimir's brother and his family until Kasimir had taken it over.

'_Interesting. What are you doing visiting one of your comrades' worst enemies, Miss Fox?'_ Stormblaze wondered. Hanging back across the street, where he had hidden himself behind a wall of shrubbery, he observed Fiona go up to the gate. She pressed a hand to one of the stone blocks in the column on the left-hand side, revealing a hidden keypad that had been built there. She typed in something on it and waited a few minutes. When the gate finally started to slowly swing open, she walked through it and up the long walkway stretching up to the house's front door.

Abandoning his hiding place, Stormblaze went around to the back of the manor and scaled the wall. Jumping down and landing on the other side, he found himself standing in the backyard. As he prowled the expansive, well-kept area, a light suddenly switched on and caught him in its high-powered beam. Though taken off-guard, he knew that to freeze up could lead to his discovery or worse. Forcing his legs to move, Stormblaze took off, heading towards a particularly large poplar tree growing at the edge of the yard. Hiding behind it, he fervently prayed that he hadn't been spotted. He waited to see if anything would happen - for someone to come out of the house to investigate why the light had been triggered, for an alarm to sound…

But when nothing happened, Stormblaze released the breath he had been holding in. His position offered him a decent view of the patio. He turned his attention to intently studying the manor, trying to think of a way to get inside so that he could see what Fiona was up to and have his belief about her being a collaborator with Kasimir confirmed.

The back door opened, and a moose came out and closed the door behind him. Stormblaze watched the other herbivore stroll out onto the lawn and take a look around. Seeing nothing, the moose relaxed. Stormblaze realized he must have been a servant of some kind, for he wore a white shirt, a grayish-blue vest, and matching pants. The moose removed a cigarette as well as a lighter from inside his shirt pocket and lit the cigarette. Thoughtfully, Stormblaze considered the moose before grinning sneakily to himself.

The moose was relishing his cigarette when a sound coming from in the vicinity of the poplar tree across the yard made him jump and look around. "Psst!"

Frowning, the moose went to investigate – and was promptly stuck on the head by Stormblaze's fist when he had gotten within striking range. The moose dropped to the ground, out cold. Stormblaze didn't waste any time in dragging the hapless fellow back behind the poplar. Several minutes passed before he stepped out from behind the protective screen of dense greenery, now dressed in the moose's uniform. In his hands was his green tunic.

Studying himself,the unicorn noted, _'A little loose, but it shall do for now.'_ Folding his tunic up, he then carefully hid it behind the poplar. With that done, Stormblaze made his way over to the back door, opened it, and stepped inside the manor.

His eyes took in the room he had just entered. Noticing a large rose-colored brick oven over to one side, as well as feeling the sweltering heat that was concentrated in the area and having his nose teased by an array of mouthwatering scents coming from the contents of the pots and pans on the stove, Stormblaze quickly figured out that he was in the kitchen. No one else was in here at the moment, thankfully for him.

"You there!" A loud, unpleasant voice squawked from behind him. Stormblaze just about jumped out of his skin. Whirling around, he saw an old mynah bird approaching him. "Are you that new servant?" She asked, her sharp black eyes looking him up and down critically.

"That I am, madam," He inclined his head to the mynah, but apparently his politeness wasn't enough to soothe the cranky avian.

"I don't know where you've worked in before, but tardiness is _not_ tolerated around here. Take this up to the master's entertaining room." Shoving a silver serving tray covered with all manner of appetizing finger foods into his hands, she shuffled off to go check on the dishes cooking on the stovetop.

Stormblaze pretended to seem contrite as he obeyed the mynah's orders and, pushing through a set of white double doors, emerged out into a beautifully furnished lobby-like area. His eyes traveled around the spacious room before coming to rest on a winding staircase, and he walked in that direction and began the ascent to the second floor. He couldn't help but be impressed with the manor. It was a fine home indeed, lavish and handsomely decorated, but then he remembered that Kasimir had taken it by means of force and deceit.

Stormblaze decided to stop and have a look around when he made it to the second floor. He now stood before a hallway that stretched out quite a ways in front of him, with the banister on his left and six doors to his right. Could one of them be the entertaining room?

The first door suddenly opened, and an opossum servant carefully backed his way out of the room, pulling along a vacuum cleaner with him. Stormblaze approached the marsupial. "Pardon me, but where might I find the master's entertaining room?" He lowered the tray of snacks for the opossum to see. "I am new here."

Craning his neck in order to get a better look at the much taller Mobian, the opossum replied, "You're on the right floor. It's that one right there." He pointed to the fourth door.

Politely thanking the opossum, Stormblaze approached the entertaining room while the servant moved on to clean the next room. Waiting until the opossum had gone all the way inside his room and began vacuuming, Stormblaze paused just outside the entertaining room, not daring to step beyond the doorframe. The door was open just a hand's width, allowing soft rays of lamp light to slip out into the hallway. Hearing voices inside, Stormblaze strained to listen, all the while keeping an eye out for anyone who might be heading his way.

"Well, at any rate, they're out of my fur. Do what you want with them." That was undoubtedly Fiona. Stormblaze guessed that the 'they' she was referring to were Antoine and Bandit, but waited to hear more. Bandit and Antoine disappearing on the exact same day had struck him as being more than a mere coincidence.

There was a throaty chuckle of amusement, then the velvety, cultured voice of a male purred, "My dear, I had no idea that you were this ruthless."

"I don't have anything against the Mercian. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, Bandit on the other hand… well, I'm tired of listening to him bark orders and having to stroke his ego. Ever since we got involved in this stupid war, it's been one thing after another. As you well know, we've lost several of our longtime members, and the Nasty Hyenas aren't respecting the old boundaries anymore. Then he likes to go out and pick up every stray mutt he meets, like we're some club for charity cases or something." She practically spat out the word 'mutt'.

"Don't worry. I will see to it that our friend the Bandit is properly taken care of. He and that other cur are being held at the penitentiary now. We'll see how defiant he and his little friend are after ten months or so of wearing chains and eating gruel every day. Then Bandit can watch the boy be roboticized before sharing the same fate." There was an undeniable note of gleeful cruelty in Kasimir's tone. It was quite easy to believe that he could have his own brother roboticized.

Stormblaze decided that he had heard all he needed to. He started to leave, but not before helping himself to the finger foods on his tray that didn't contain any meat in them. Afterwards, when he was sure that no one else was around to see him, he stashed the tray behind a dresser stand. _'Their like do not deserve food such as this.'_ He thought heatedly. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to have a little sustenance to keep up his energy.

* * *

Restlessly, Antoine paced from one end of his cell to the other and then back again, the irritation and anger he was feeling evident in his bearing. Unable to make himself sit still (not that he really wanted to though), he had mostly just been pacing around. Once the police had bought him and Bandit here to Carnia Penitentiary (ironically enough), the two had been separated. Just as he had been coming around, the last he saw of Bandit was the unconscious terrier-mix being drug away down the hall. The guards had then literally thrown Antoine into this cramped, dirty cell. They were fortunate that they outnumbered him four to one, otherwise he would have made them think twice about treating him and Bandit like common criminals.

The only sound that could be heard was the steady rhythm made by the soles of his boots meeting the hard, bare floor. Every now and then, his ears would catch a stray sound or two from elsewhere within the facility, but due to their distance from his location, they sounded somewhat muffled.

Being stuck in this wretched cell made him feel helpless, and he _hated_ feeling helpless. He had always hated it. He remembered seeing Fiona take Bandit's bandanna, intending to use it in her insidious plot to deceive the other Maddogs about Bandit's disappearance. But there was a hitch in her scheme: Stormblaze would know that she wasn't telling the truth. But that didn't necessarily mean that Stormblaze would be able to find him and Bandit and come to their aid. Antoine wondered if he would ever see Stormblaze again.

Just then, the deep timbre of a male's voice wryly remarked, "Your hosts do not appear to be the most hospitable sorts, would you not agree?"

Immediately Antoine stopped, and his head shot up as he stared at the front of his cell. By this point in time, he could have picked that voice from out of a crowd. "Stormblaze!" The unicorn was standing right outside his cell, peering in at him.

Rushing up to the cell door, Antoine tried to see if he could spot anyone else there with Stormblaze. "It is just being you?" Seeing Stormblaze draw back slightly and frown at him, Antoine wondered if he was still upset with him.

"Well, hello to you too."

His terse reply answered Antoine's question for him. "I was not meaning it like that," Antoine hurriedly explained. "I am being glad to see you, but I was expecting a rescue party."

"'Tis just I." Stormblaze said, visibly calmer now. Seeing that Antoine was alone himself, he asked, "Where is Bandit?"

Antoine shook his head, his own aggravation returning. "I am not knowing. We were both being knocked out before we were brought here. I was waking up in time to see him be taken that way." He pointed to his right, down the hall.

Bandit may not have been his favorite Mobian at the moment, but Stormblaze did not dislike the fellow enough to leave him to a ghastly fate as a roboticized slave. Wrapping each hand around a bar, Stormblaze pulled in opposite directions. Under the pressure of his powerful grip, the metal bent like clay. When he stopped, there was a gap in the bars wide enough for Antoine to fit through.

Stepping out of the cell, Antoine made to abruptly dash off in the direction that the guards had taken Bandit. "Come on!"

But before he could go anywhere, Stormblaze planted a staying hand on his shoulder. "I know you are concerned for him, but we must not be hasty. Strategy will win the day here, not impetuousness."

Antoine jerked out of Stormblaze's grasp and rounded on him with wild eyes. "If we are not saving Bandit fast enough, then he will be roboticized! You can stay here and make plans if you are wanting to, but I will _not_ let that happen to someone else!"

Stormblaze ran a hand down his face, trying to keep his raising temper in check. "Antoine, hearken to me. I did not free you just to see you get yourself killed! If we do this, then we must do it properly."

"The best way to be doing this is to find where they are keeping him and break him out!" Antoine argued back. A temporarily forgotten thought resurfaced in his mind. "Are you still thinking that I am not able to take care of myself?"

"What?" Stormblaze stared at Antoine, wondering if he had really just said what Stormblaze thought he did.

"You heard me!" Antoine growled, stabbing an accusatory finger at Stormblaze. "You are just wanting _moi_ to have to rely on you all the time because you think I am being a weakling!"

"I do not know where on Mobius you ever got such an idea from, but I do not think you are a weakling, nor have I never had any intention of wanting you to rely on me all the time! Have you become so arrogant that you do not even care that your recklessness could condemn you as well as Bandit and me to imprisonment or death? Hear me - _you are not invincible_. I know you are smart, so start acting like it!"

His words appealed to Antoine's latent common sense, and a part of him acknowledged that what Stormblaze was saying did make sense. Snapping his eyes shut, he struggled to rein in his anger, but not without some effort. What he really wanted to do was tear this vile building apart (and if he had to, anyone who got in his way) brick by brick to find Bandit. The inner voice was back, egging him on and telling him he should do just that. He did not want to have another situation like Bunnie's on his hands in which he failed to act in time and ended up ruining yet another person's life. Finally, he heaved a great shuddering sigh and fixed a stare at Stormblaze. "_Fine_. So what is your idea being?" He grumbled through his gritted teeth with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm.

Stormblaze was a little amazed by his reply. He had wondered if Antoine was just going to storm off anyways and leave him there, or even try to take a swing at him. He could sense the rage surging inside the other Mobian like an out-of-control wildfire. He had seen Antoine mad before, but compared to those instances, this was almost like a lust for battle and violence, like what Stormblaze had sensed within him when they fought the SWATBots before. It lent further credence to Stormblaze's suspicion that the "gift" the Thunderbird had bestowed upon Antoine had a hand in altering his personality. If he ever ran into the Thunderbird himself, Stormblaze was going to ask her exactly what had been going through her head at that time.

Setting his concerns aside for the moment, Stormblaze began explaining his plan. "We will have to split up to search. That way we can cover more ground. But -" He held a hand up "- since we are not familiar with the layout of this building, we _must_ exercise strict caution at all times. Furthermore, as this is a rescue operation and not a battle, kindly restrain yourself from berserking on anyone if you can please."

Antoine snorted at the dig. "_Oui_, _oui_," He impatiently huffed. "What am I to be doing if I am finding him first? Or if you do?"

"Then we will meet back here."

To Stormblaze's relief, Antoine nodded his concurrence with the plan. He started to wish him luck, but before he could even get the words out, Antoine was already gone, sprinting down the hall. Watching him, Stormblaze shook his head and sighed. _'Please do not get yourself killed here, little wolf.'_

* * *

Antoine crept along the empty corridor. Earlier, he had seen a sign that was posted by a stairwell telling him he was on the fourth floor. He had noticed a few security cameras here and there, but they were easily avoided. He speculated whether Bandit had been placed in a cell somewhere deep inside the facility due to his high-profile status, or if Kasimir was being overconfident and therefore lax about where he kept his captive. Suddenly and unexpectedly, his mind wandered to thoughts of Juniper and what she might be doing at that moment. He figured Kasimir was probably relying on Fiona to keep the Maddogs preoccupied somehow.

He came to a junction where his hallway crossed over with another one, and paused there. His hearing alerted him to the sounds of hard, heavy footsteps from further up ahead. It didn't take him long to recognize them as belonging to a robot. Robots had a distinctive sound to their footfalls, since they were comprised of metal. Using the corner of the wall to hide behind, Antoine tried to see if he could spot the robot. Sure enough, some thirty or so feet in front of him, a robot diligently marched back and forth before a set of metal double doors. Its design was humanoid, like a SWATBot's, but that was where the similarities between the two models abruptly ended.

This particular robot was taller and had several other different physical features, such as fearsome black spikes, the longest of which was nearly the same length as one of Antoine's forearms, protruding from its broad shoulders, and dark green coloration. Antoine recognized it as a new model known as a Combot. He personally hadn't seen too many of them yet, but had heard Sonic talking about them before. They were supposed to be smarter and more formidable then SWATBots, equipped with things like camouflaging abilities, optic beams, net launchers, and tazer whips.

Why would the guards have such a powerful robot here? Unless - there was something or _someone _behind those doors that they didn't want escaping.

Antoine mulled over his options. This was a rescue operation, not a battle, Stormblaze had said. Perhaps he should find a way to trick the robot somehow and then slip past it. The idea caused him to grimace in displeasure, but this time, his logic overruled his desire to see action.

Boldly, he strode right into the middle of the hall within clear view of the Combot. Seeing that he had its full attention, he cheekily waved and blew a kiss at it.

"IDENTIFYING BIO-SIGNATURE… UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL. HALT, INTRUDER!" The Combot droned in its deep electronic voice.

'_I think not!'_ Antoine thought, turning to run. Behind him, he could hear the Combot give chase. It sounded fast, judging by how swiftly its feet rapidly pounded against the floor, but Antoine was undaunted. For one thing, he had a good head start on the automaton. As he sprinted back the way he had come, he recalled seeing a restroom down this way. Coming to a second junction, he altered his path and turned the corner. The restroom was right where he remembered it was, and running up to the door, he pushed his way inside. Hiding inside the first stall, he kept an ear out for his pursuer.

The Combot must have assumed that he had run on down the corridor, because the sound of its running continued on right past the restroom door. Antoine waited, not wanting to leave immediately just in case the robot was somewhere nearby. But the hallway sounded empty and still. Finally, he left the stall and, opening the door, cautiously peeked outside. There was no sign of the Combot anywhere as far as he could tell. _'So much for it being more intelligent than a SWATBot,'_ he smugly thought.

Moving swiftly but as silently as possible, he made his way back to where he had seen the double doors. Opening one of the doors, he walked through and quietly closed it behind him, thanking the Source that robots were so easily deceived. He found himself in another hall, at the very end of which stood another door. As he glanced around, Antoine thought this place was easily one of the most blandest-looking buildings he had ever been in before. Everything started to look the same after a while. Well, he would be free of this awful place once he found Bandit, and then they and Stormblaze could leave -

Just like before when he and Bandit had stepped into Fiona's trap, Antoine's hearing reported the sound of danger to him before he ever actually saw anything. Not bothering to see what was behind him, he sprang to one side. He remembered that whooshing sound from before when the police had tossed the net that caught Bandit and himself. But he was a second too late, and was sent tumbling head over heels as he was enveloped in a net that was fired at him by the Combot. Antoine cursed his luck – he thought he had left that stupid robot wandering the halls!

Thinking fast, he pulled his sabre from its sheath. One slash of the sword, and he was free. No sooner had he done that though then his instincts warned him to leap clear. This time, his timing was better, and he managed to avoid the optic beams that the Combot unleashed on him. Landing on his feet in a crouching position, he kept alert eyes trained on the Combot. In turn, the robot appeared to actually consider him for a moment before advancing towards him.

Well aware of the fact that the Combot was far stronger and more durable then he was, even with his enhanced physical stats, Antoine focused on evading its attempts at grabbing him, his powers not just making him quicker but serving to guide his actions too. _'Stay on the move. Wear your opponent down. Don't let yourself be pinned down.'_ Stormblaze had shared that advice with him before during one of their training sessions, and Antoine saw the wisdom in it. Of course, wearing a robot down was impossible since they weren't alive to begin with, but they could be confused. He would twist, dodge, or roll away from it at the last second, all the while running circles around it in an attempt to throw it off.

He could hardly be called a klutz now, moving with a fluid agility that he had never possessed before. He had always been fast owing to his coyote parentage – certainly not on the level of a certain hedgehog of course, but when it came down to it, he was able to beat the rest of the Knothole Freedom Fighters in a footrace. While the robot could hardly be called slow either, it did lack flexibility, and Antoine found that he was able to match it move for move.

As he eluded the Combot, Antoine looked for a chance to counterattack. If he could only stab it in its head or in the chest, then he would be able to take it out permanently. Military sabres like his were not just designed for slashing, but to be thrust into a target as well.

He positively _loved_ this. It struck him as being a strange thing to think – normal Mobians did not relish the thought of fighting a robot. Then again, he supposed he wasn't exactly a normal Mobian. The exhilaration coursing through his veins in that moment must have been the so-called 'thrill of battle' that he had heard soldiers say they experienced whenever they charged into combat.

Sonic, Dulcy, and Bunnie weren't the only Mobians who could handle robots now - so could he!

The Mobian and the robot's deadly dance carried them further and further down the hall and towards the door that Antoine had glimpsed earlier. Their fight stood at a stalemate, though at one point the Combot caught Antoine off-guard with a glancing jab to the side of his head that made his teeth rattle. Even though the force of the blow caused him to stagger, Antoine was far too wound up, fueled by both power and rage, to allow the pain to slow him down.

Darting behind the Combat, Antoine managed to climb onto its back. As he clung there, he gripped the hilt of his sabre and prepared to deliver the killing blow. Before he could though, there was a curious hissing sound and he found himself enveloped in a cloud of what looked like white smoke. The bitter odor made him gag and wheeze, and caused his eyes to water furiously. He realized only too late that the smoke must have been some type of gas the Combot emitted.

Coughing harshly, Antoine leapt down, wanting to put as much space between the Combot and himself as possible. He tried to run, but his coughing fit kept him from getting very far. Taking advantage of its target's condition, the Combot knocked Antoine clean off his feet with a swift backhand.

CRASH!

Antoine went sailing through the air. It was only smacking into the door that stopped him. For a few minutes, he didn't try moving from his sprawled position on the floor. How odd - that had _really_ hurt. For the most part, since gaining his powers, if he did happen to be hit or something, it didn't hurt him like it would have before. Then again, this was his first time battling a Combot.

He groaned and tried to sit up – only to hastily duck as the Combot's fist came sailing right at his head. The blow hit the door instead, leaving behind a large hole. Thinking fast, Antoine squeezed through the hole and found himself inside a medium-sized room.

"Tony?"

He recognized that voice – it was Bandit! For a moment, Antoine thought he was still feeling the effects of being hit by the Combot and was just hearing things. Antoine looked around, trying to find Bandit. As there wasn't exactly much to look at, it didn't take long. The room's main features were a small barred window that was set high up on the wall, and a cell, inside of which stood Bandit, who was staring at him in utter amazement.

Snapping out of his daze, Antoine started towards Bandit's cell when twin lances of bright red light shot past him, just missing his right arm. The laser blasts had been so close that he could still feel the heat radiating off them through his uniform sleeve. Spinning around, he saw the Combot standing outside the smoking, ruined remains of the door, its unnaturally shiny, lifeless eyes still gleaming a brilliant red from just having fired its optic beams.

With horror, Antoine realized the initial high that he had been feeling inexplicably ebb away, his adrenaline being replaced by exhaustion and dizziness. This had never happened before. Panic began to take over. He desperately wanted to make sure Bandit was alright, but feared taking his eyes off the Combot, which had stepped into the room with him. A single moment of distraction on his part was all that it needed, and it would kill him. Antoine's sword had been knocked from his grasp when the Combot had struck him, and he saw nothing around him in the way of potential weaponry. He couldn't avoid the Combot forever.

As the Combot started to approach, Antoine backed away towards one corner of the room. He understood why Kasimir and Robotnik employed robots. They were relentless, never tiring. They wouldn't stopped until their task was either complete or they had been destroyed. Fighting them wasn't as fun as he initially thought it was. At least the last time he had done it he had had Stormblaze with him to help out.

Suddenly, the robot found itself under attack – from Bandit, who leapt onto its back and wrapped his arms around its neck. He had gotten free when the Combot's optic beans had seared through the cell's bars. "Run kid!"

In spite of Bandit's warning, Antoine was unwilling to leave him there to face the murderous Combot by himself. Instead he charged at the Combot, hoping to knock it over and give both himself and Bandit a chance to escape.

The Combot had been trying to shake Bandit off, and the combination of having to deal with both him and Antoine ramming into its legs with his shoulder knocked the robot slightly off balance. It quickly recovered though, and reaching around, made a grab for the dog. Bandit, who had been trying to reach for the panel door that was located on the back of the Combot's neck in the hopes that he could rip out the wiring inside and damage the robot, tried to avoid its grasp, but one hand closed around his left ankle. Bandit was renowned as a skilled fighter, but was no match for the Combot's raw strength. It flung him across the room as though he weighed nothing.

Seeing Bandit go flying, Antoine gasped. He made a run for the doorway - he knew that his sabre was out there somewhere - but the Combot intercepted him, seizing him by the neck and lifting him off the ground. Antoine let out a pained cry as the terrible pressure around his neck steadily intensified as the Combot tightened its grip.

There was no inner voice encouraging Antoine now, telling him that a great fighter like himself needed to keep fighting. Just silence. This time, he had really allowed his ego to get the best of him, and was paying for it dearly. He was no indestructible one-Mobian army. He was just some stupid teenager who had happened to stumble into an extraordinary situation. At least he had managed to give a good account of himself before he died, he supposed. Even his old teammates would have been proud of him if they could have seen him in action. He couldn't help but wonder if anybody would mourn him. Bandit (if he miraculously managed to survive this mess – Antoine hoped he would), Juniper, and the rest of the Maddogs likely would. The Knothole Freedom Fighters – well, they had no clue where he was, and it was uncertain if they would ever have any knowledge of his fate. But even if they were somehow made aware of his demise, he didn't really know if any of them liked him enough to be very upset about it for long. There was also Stormblaze, but Antoine had distanced himself from him in the past several days. He hated that his last moments with his mentor had consisted of them being at one another's throats. Once again it would seem that he had ruined yet another friendship. Maybe he was just the type of person who was never meant to have friends in the first place.

Shutting his eyes, Antoine gritted his teeth but bowed his head in acceptance of what was to come. The least he could do was meet his end with some dignity.

Incredibly, the pressure around his neck suddenly went away. Antoine dimly became aware of falling and hitting the floor. He lay there gulping in air like there was no tomorrow. His eyelids weakly fluttered open, and he was greeted by the sight of Stormblaze standing there, spatha drawn and tail angrily lashing the air as he squared off against the Combot. The Combot's arm had been completely severed at the elbow, and lay sparking and writhing on the floor a few feet away.

Deeming Stormblaze to be a bigger threat then the half-strangled coydog, the robot raised its remaining arm in Stormblaze's direction. Not wanting to give the Combot an opportunity to use whatever tricks it had up its sleeve, Stormblaze surged forward. Before the Combot could react, he barreled into it like a runaway train, slamming it against the wall. Recovering, the Combot sprang at him.

As the two combatants rolled around on the floor grappling with one another, they seemed equally matched in strength. The Combot tried to use its optic beams again, but Stormblaze, seeing what it was up to, roughly grabbed it by the jaw and forced its head up. His action averted much of the attack, which struck the ceiling instead and only left him with a laser burn on his right shoulder.

Managing to work his hooves under the Combot, more specifically, the area where its stomach would be if it actually had one, Stormblaze bucked out with all his might. He succeeded in kicking the Combot off him and knocking it into the wall for a second time. The machine rose again, but its formerly smooth and polished exterior looked battered and dented. It would seem that the Combot had met its match.

Stormblaze, now back on his hooves and fronting the Combot, was prepared to finish the battle once and for all when the Combot lifted its arm. The tips of its fingers popped open, and two dart-like electrodes connected to wires flew out at Stormblaze. The electrodes hit the front of his tunic and clung there. The crackle of electricity suddenly became audible, and before Stormblaze could move, electricity flowed through the wires and the electrodes and straight into him, eliciting a roar of pain from him. He was rendered completely immobile as volts of electricity coursed through his body.

When the flow of electricity ceased, Stormblaze fell limply to the floor. The spatha slipped from his grasp, landing with a metallic clatter. Retracting its tazer back into its fingers, the Combot came to stand over Stormblaze. By then, Antoine had recovered enough to have witnessed the whole incident in mute horror. He was certain that Stormblaze was going to spring up and wreak bloody vengeance upon the robot, but he stayed motionless. Angling its head down at its victim, the Combot's eyes began glowing bright red. _'It's going to use its optic beams.'_ Antoine numbly realized. Still, Stormblaze did not move a muscle.

Summoning all of his willpower, Antoine forced himself up on unsteady legs, clenching his jaw with the effort. He didn't know exactly what he was about to do, but did know that he was not going to just sit idly by and watched Stormblaze be murdered by a robot. He didn't care if the Combot killed him. He _had_ to save Stormblaze.

He jumped backwards in surprise, nearly falling over himself when Stormblaze launched himself at the Combot's legs, moving with an astonishing speed that Antoine had never seen him display before. The surprise attack knocked the Combot right off its feet and sent it crashing to the floor. Throwing himself on his enemy, Stormblaze made a grab for one of the long spikes that studded its shoulders. With one great tug, the spike broke away in his hand with a sharp snap. He rammed the spike straight between the Combot's eyes. The robot managed to push itself away from him, arm wildly flailing through the air and sparks of electricity flying from its ruined face. It staggered a few feet away before collapsing, still sparking. Its body seemed to spasm once before its eyes finally went dark, signaling that it was offline.

Satisfied that the Combot was no longer a threat to anyone, Stormblaze slumped down to the ground and fell there, chest heaving in and out as he breathed heavily. Scurrying over, Antoine knelt at his side.

"Stormblaze?" Antoine's voice quavered slightly as he looked down at him. Stormblaze's eyes were closed, and he showed no sign of having heard Antoine. Antoine knew full-well what the agony of being electrocuted was like. Two years ago, while he, Sally, and Bunnie were out on a simple scouting mission to spy on a new factory built by Robotnik, the three Freedom Fighters had been surprised by a few SWATBots. Typically, Antoine would wear leather gloves to protect himself from the electrical shock that would result whenever one stabbed a SWATBot in its processor, but he didn't really think they would encounter any and had therefore left his gloves at home. In the resulting skirmish, he had made the mistake of impaling one through the chest with his blade in a rare display of bravado. It had stopped the SWATBot, but his sabre had also acted as a conductor for the electrical current flowing through the robot's processor. The sheer force of the resulting shock had sent him rocketing back at least eight feet and left him with painful burns on his hands. He was taken back to Knothole, where Rosie, aided by Bunnie, had tended to his injuries. The experience had given him some knowledge about electrical shock and what to do when it came to treating someone who had received one.

Stormblaze did have one advantage in his corner that Antoine didn't have - healing powers. If his body was healing itself, then that would account for his listlessness. Lowering his head to Stormblaze's chest, Antoine listened to his heartbeat. It sounded more rapid then what was normal for him. But was that due to the shock, or was it because of his powers?

"I _hate_ robots. Whoever invented 'em needs to be shot." Antoine turned to see Bandit sitting up, gingerly rubbing the back of his head. It didn't take long for the dog to notice the "dead" Combot and Stormblaze. "What happened?"

"The Combot, it was electrifying him!" Antoine replied, anxiety making his voice shrill.

Bandit came over and bent down next to Antoine, countenance grim as he had a closer look at Stormblaze for himself. "He's breathing, so that's one good thing. Combot tazers usually have a higher setting then normal ones do." His eyes traveled back to Antoine. "Not to sound coldblooded or anything kid, but we really need to get out of here. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get him -" He gestured to Stormblaze "- and us some medical treatment."

A shock victim wasn't supposed to be moved, but Antoine knew Bandit was right. They couldn't afford to wait for Stormblaze to recover. Someone was sure to have noticed all the commotion caused by the brawl by now and was probably coming to investigate. But he wasn't sure how the two of them would even be able to move Stormblaze's bulk.

"_S'il vous plaît être bien_!" Antoine murmured as he hovered over Stormblaze, frantically wringing his hands. Only the sound of Stormblaze's breath coming in and out noisy pants could be heard. Antoine failed to notice Bandit rest a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

Stormblaze slid one eyelid open and trained his vision on Antoine's worried face. "Don't know… much French."

Antoine perked up. "You are alright!"

Stormblaze grunted in affirmation. "Well, I feel tired and rather odd, but I will be fine." Saying just those few words seemed to drain him, and when he spoke again, his voice was faint and faltering. "That… robot… he was a… strong bugger."

With Antoine and Bandit's assistance, Stormblaze managed to get up. "Haven't been shocked too many times before. Takes me a while to shake off the effects." He explained, sounding almost apologetic as he glanced wearily between the two canines.

Bandit was quick to refocus their attention back to the main problem at hand. "That window's our only way out," He urgently stated before casting a glance behind them at the doorway. "I wouldn't chance trying to go back that way."

Indeed, Antoine would have sworn that he could already hear angry, hurried shouts coming closer and closer to their location – the guards, most likely. He couldn't determine exactly how many there were in total, but thought it very likely that they had Stormblaze, Bandit, and himself outnumbered.

"Allow me." Walking up to the window, Stormblaze took a hold of the bars. Then, putting one hoof up against the wall to brace himself, pulled with all his might. As he strained, the bars as well as part of the masonry came away in his hands. Tossing the debris aside (which Antoine and Bandit placed in front of the doorway in order to trip up any unwanted guests), he aimed several good kicks at the weakened wall until there was a gap big enough for him to fit through, though the entire task took him longer then it would have had he been at full strength.

Peering out from the hole at the outside, Antoine was slightly surprised to see that it was nighttime. Since having been jailed, he had completely lost track of the time, although he knew he hadn't been at the penitentiary any longer than a day. The hole also presented the three of them with a clear view of the dark moat below. He did not relish the idea of having to jump into _that_. Robots were one thing, but heights were another entirely. There was no Anubia here to teleport them to safety.

Antoine's fearful thoughts were cut off as Stormblaze unexpectedly picked him up with one hand and then seized Bandit in the other. With the still-surprised canines tucked under his arms, Stormblaze took a few steps back, then, broke into a run and hurled himself out the hole.

Roughly around the same time that Stormblaze leapt to safety, a dozen armed guards clad in full riot gear burst into the room. Some did stumble over the debris lying on the ground, but those who were positioned in front and still standing began strafing the area with gunfire. Seeing their intended targets get away, the guards pressed forward. Leaning out of the freshly-made escape route, they resumed blasting away at the spot where they thought the escapees might have fallen, hoping to hit at least one of them.

"Cease fire!" Their commander, a rooster, roared. When the hail of bullets stopped, the bird pushed his way through his men and stuck his head out the hole to have a look for himself. The racket produced by the gunfire had covered the sounds of splashing that the Bandit and the other two should have made when they hit the moat, but the water's surface still reverberated with large ripples. Wherever they were, they couldn't have gotten far.

Freeing the radio that hung at his side in one of the pouches on his duty belt, the rooster spoke into it. "This is Captain Halcombe. Focus the spotlights on the east side of the moat!"

French translations:

S'il vous plaît être bien: Please be well.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

When Antoine hit the water with a splash and sank below its surface, his instincts automatically kicked in and he swam for it. Something was zooming past him through the water, but he couldn't tell what it was. Although he had jumped out with both Stormblaze and Bandit, they had become separated, and he wasn't sure what had happened to either of them. He didn't dare try to dogpaddle, not wanting the noise to attract the attention of the guards.

He resurfaced among the reeds that thickly grew long the moat's shore. Recognizing the sound of gunfire and seeing muzzle flashes illuminating the darkness above, he realized that the guards were still firing at the area where he, Stormblaze, and Bandit had fallen from the tower. The objects he had sensed shooting past him through the water must have been bullets. Somehow, he wasn't surprised that Kasimir had his henchmen using guns.

Pushing aside his sodden bangs, which were plastered to his forehead, with the back of his hand, Antoine anxiously searched for some sign of his companions, but saw nothing. He hoped they were alright. Oddly enough, for the first time he noticed that there was no moon out that night. He desperately wished it were a full moon, or daylight; he could see nothing under the murky water in the dark of night.

By then, the guards had stopped firing, and Antoine distinctly heard one of them, who identified himself as the captain of the guard, radio for searchlights to focus on the moat.

"Antoine!" A voice hissed from nearby. To Antoine's relief, he saw Bandit swimming towards him, towing something along with him. Antoine's relief turned to worry when he recognized the motionless dark-colored mass as Stormblaze. Immediately he swam over to help Bandit pull Stormblaze onto dry land.

"I think he was hit." Bandit explained to him, making sure to keep his voice low.

"Can you tell where?" Antoine asked. The same darkness that helped to hide the three of them now posed a potentially serious problem. Even though the canines' night vision was superior to that of Overlanders and humans, even their eyes had trouble finding a bullet hole, though both could smell the coppery scent of blood on Stormblaze amidst the slightly musty odor of moat water.

Bandit gave a sigh. "Not in this light. Look, I got a little cabin hidden off in the woods a few miles from here. I don't know how bad off he is, but if we get him there quickly enough, we could get him some help. What do you say?"

Antoine mulled over their options. The guards would be searching high and low for them. The trio could either try making a run for the cabin while Stormblaze possibly bled to death from his wound (if it was indeed that serious), or attempt to find a hiding place and wait there until things died down while… Stormblaze possibly bled to death from his wound. He didn't like their chances. However, the eerie wail of a siren, warning of the escape of prisoners, made his decision for him.

It wasn't easy by any means, but somehow he and Bandit, working together, managed to drag Stormblaze with them into the wilderness. Other then mumbling to himself in what were apparently fever dreams, Stormblaze hadn't really regained consciousness, much to their concern. Whenever they chanced across a stream or other body of water, they made sure to walk through it. If the guards were using Tasmanian devils to hunt them down (which Bandit said was highly likely), then the creatures would be tracking them by scent, so passing through water would help to throw them off their trail. None of them were in any condition to fight - Antoine and Bandit were both hurting and exhausted, and Antoine didn't know if his powers were working again or not.

Along the way, they were forced to stop and rest several times, but not for long. The raucous, positively hair-raising snarls and screams of the Tasmanian devils could be heard echoing across the pastureland and through the trees. The feral marsupials, which were originally native to the continent of Downunda, could be domesticated to an extent, and were ideal for hunting and tracking. The Acorns' royal guards had kept a few for the purpose of tracking runaway prisoners, and the animals had always given Antoine the creeps whenever he happened by their kennels.

Time seemed to slow to an excruciating crawl. Antoine was on full alert, starting at every little sound he heard. He didn't know how close they were to being found, but he had no intention of just giving up and allowing Bandit, Stormblaze, and himself to be re-captured.

When the dark horizon started to brighten with the coming of first light, they finally located Bandit's log cabin. It was nestled in a little clearing located within a small section of woodland. They had nearly missed seeing it.

After retrieving the door key from atop the eve of the roof where he had hidden it, Bandit unlocked the door, and then he and Antoine brought Stormblaze inside. Stormblaze seemed to be more lucid now than before, and was able to support himself a little better as well.

The cabin appeared to have been built to accommodate only two or three Mobians at the most. Basically, there was just one large area that seemed to be the parlor room, which had a fireplace, and a kitchen that was smaller in size. Owing to the lack of room, there weren't many furnishings: there was a little bed pushed to one side of the parlor room, as well as a small refrigerator, a card table, and a few chairs, but that was basically it. The interior was tidy though, aside from a thin layer of dust that had collected on the card table and countertop. A couple of windows located on either side of the parlor room allowed light from outside in, though since it was still very early in the morning there wasn't much of that.

Taking the two pillows, a quilt, and a couple of blankets from off the bed, Bandit spread them out on the floor for Stormblaze's use. As the unicorn lay down on his side, Bandit and Antoine examined him before finally discovering a round hole in his right arm roughly about the size of a button. The bullet hole was still moist with dark red-colored blood, but wasn't spurting blood or doing anything else like that.

"It doesn't look too deep," Bandit informed Antoine, who was looking on from over his shoulder. "I'm thinking we should just leave the bullet in until we can send for somebody like Doc Herdwick or Juniper."

"Are you sure that is being alright to do? Won't that hurt him?"

Bandit laughed shortly. "Oh yeah, it hurts like crazy. But I'd rather not go poking around inside the bullet hole and cause even more damage."

To their surprise, Stormblaze suddenly grabbed hold of Bandit's wrist. "Take the blasted thing out." He croaked.

Bandit stared at him. "You sure? The only medical knowledge I got is first aid."

Stormblaze didn't waver. "Positive."

It began to dawn on Antoine why Stormblaze wanted them to go ahead and remove the bullet. Antoine still didn't completely understand the intricacies of how a unicorn's healing abilities worked, but from what he gathered based on what Stormblaze had told him (he had become reluctant to rely on the legends that he had heard about unicorns, given that some of information in them had either proven to be incorrect or lacking), once an obstruction, such as a spearhead, or in this case, a bullet, was removed from the unicorn's body, their rapid healing would then kick in and mend their bodies.

Antoine turned to Bandit. "I am thinking Stormblaze might be right."

Bandit glanced between the two of them as though trying to decide which of them was crazier. Finally, he shook his head. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you. Go and get some cloth from out of the closet over there, Tony," He indicated a closet door to their left. "Everything should already be clean, but make sure it is for certain, just in case. I haven't used this place in a while. I'm gonna go hunt down a first aid kit and see if I still have some whiskey left."

As Antoine did as he was told, Bandit started looking around for the hiding spot he used to stash valuables and other items for safekeeping. When he was close by the fireplace, he bent down and pried up one of the floorboards, revealing a hidden compartment underneath. Rummaging around inside the small space, he gave a relieved sigh as he found what he had been searching for – a bottle of whiskey, as well as several plastic cups in a bag. After replacing the floorboard, he went onto procure the first aid kit and some extras, a candle and a lighter.

Setting the first aid kit on the floor and opening it, Bandit took out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a set of needle-nose pliers. While he had Antoine (who by that point had returned with an armful of towels) pour a cup of whiskey, Bandit lit the candle, then held the pliers to the flame. When he was confident that the fire had done its job of disinfecting the tool, he turned to Stormblaze and handed him the cup of whiskey. "I have shot glasses, but decided it'd best to give you a cup instead."

Stormblaze was still lying in the same position as before, but now his eyes were open. His tunic sleeve had been rolled up better reveal his injury. Accepting the cup from Bandit, he turned it up. "Fetch me something to bite down on, preferably a stick." He requested after finishing his drink. Antoine obliged him, going outside and returning with a stick that was about a foot long in length. It seemed sturdy enough to withstand a bite from Stormblaze with all his force behind it.

Stick clamped in between his jaws, Stormblaze was prepared now. Bandit told him to relax before going to work probing the bullet hole with the needle-nose pliers, seeking the projectile. As expected, the wound began bleeding. Silently, Antoine watched the entire ordeal from where he sat in a chair that he had positioned across from Bandit. A part of him was marveling at the fact that he hadn't passed out from the sight of blood yet. Bunnie, who was the first person other than Rosie that the Knotholers would turn to in situations requiring the usage first aid or the like, had a much stronger stomach for this sort of thing then he did.

Stormblaze was not enjoying himself at all, to lightly put it, but his clenched hands and the grinding of his teeth against the wood were the only signs of discomfort that he would allow himself to show. Bandit was concentrating deeply, but he too maintained an excellent poker face. He worked slowly and deliberately so as not to strike any veins. Finally, he uttered a little cry of victory as he found and then drew out a blood-covered bullet that had a tiny scrap of cloth stuck to it. He placed the small object on the floor beside the first aid kit. Breathing heavily and shakily, Stormblaze maintained his silence as Bandit took one of the towels and began cleaning up the blood. In the meantime, Antoine tightly wrapped Stormblaze's forearm with some bandages he had gotten from the first aid kit.

"Okay, I _never_ want to do that again," Bandit announced, standing up and brushing his pants off before looking Antoine's way. "You really need to get some sleep kid."

"Perhaps." Antoine reluctantly admitted as he glanced down at Stormblaze, unwilling to leave his side until he was absolutely certain that he was faring better. Stormblaze's head was resting on the pillows once again, and his eyes were closed. It was a wonder he hadn't passed out during the procedure; the whiskey would have done nothing for him.

"I wish I had a mirror on me so you could see what you look like. Seriously, you look like hell."

"Really?" After the night he had had, Antoine figured that he probably looked like something that had just crawled out of a gutter, but wondered if he really did look that horrible. Noticing Bandit heading towards the front door, he called out, "Hey, where you are going? You are not exactly looking like the freshest of flowers either."

"I need to make sure we didn't leave any clues for Kassie's thugs to follow here." Bandit replied over his shoulder as he opened the door. He stopped to point an index finger at Antoine, his face set in a stern expression. "You - stay put and rest."

Though he knew Bandit was right, Antoine still couldn't resist rolling his eyes at the order and muttering, "Yes papa" under his breath. He wondered if it was wise for Bandit to go by himself, but then again someone needed to stay here and keep an eye on Stormblaze. Sighing exhaustedly, Antoine returned to his seat. He could see that Stormblaze's breathing had slowed to a more normal rate, and he appeared to be resting more peacefully now. Antoine struggled to not fall asleep himself, but because he had been awake for most of the past twenty-four hours, it became more and more difficult for him to keep his eyes open. As he finally lost himself to the lure of slumber, his head lolled forward and started him into wakefulness. He shook his head vigorously and jumped up, hoping that taking a quick walk would stave off the temptation to nap. When Antoine was satisfied that he was fully awake, he sat back down and resumed his watch. Eventually however, he lost the fight and dozed off.

Awaking sometime later, Antoine yawned as he sat up and looked around. It was still daylight, though the sun was shining much brighter now, so he guessed he hadn't slept for too long, much to his relief. Even so, he noticed that he was feeling somewhat better after his rest.

Seeing Stormblaze stir, he hurried over to where he was. Awaking, Stormblaze looked around the cabin, obviously confused as to where they were, so Antoine took the liberty of explaining what had happened after their escape from the tower.

When Antoine was finished, Stormblaze asked, "Have you been watching over me this whole time?"

"But of course! I have never been seeing you look so sick before, and I was not knowing if you were going to be alright. I could not just be leaving you here by yourself." The fact that Stormblaze was staring at him strangely, almost as though he didn't recognize him, did not escape Antoine.

"It was just a healing trance, that's all." Stormblaze replied, getting up to stretch. "I thought that you would be eager to get back to your gir – the Maddogs. Not spending time fretting over some plug like myself."

Antoine realized that Stormblaze had been about to say "his girlfriend", referring to Juniper, before he caught himself, but was more than willing to overlook it. He was just glad that Stormblaze was safe. "How are you feeling now? Are you alright?"

"Much better than before, thank you. I am certain it was a combination of trying to recover from that tazer and being shot that had me so exhausted. I suppose I'll have to keep this on for appearances." He held up his bandaged forearm.

Things were quiet before Stormblaze spoke again. "I hope you are not too upset at me for interrupting your fight with the Combot."

Shaking his head, Antoine had to glance away. "Do not be worrying. I have been… acting like an idiot lately." Stormblaze didn't respond, but Antoine knew he agreed with his admission. "_Merci beaucoup_ for saving _mon_ life." He nodded to Stormblaze. This time, he gave him a smile of gratitude.

In all of the time they had spent together, Stormblaze had gradually come to understand what a few of the French words and terms Antoine used meant, and "merci beaucoup" was one of them. He returned the smile, and saw some of the tension in Antoine's shoulders melt away, though he could tell that his little friend was still troubled. "You are quite welcome."

Although Antoine was ashamed of his recent behavior, he was not going to allow pride to hold him back and stop him from saying what he knew needed to be said. "I would like to talk about the Maddogs," He slowly began. "I have been moving over this whole situation in my mind."

As Stormblaze would later jokingly say, he had become fluent in deciphering what he termed "Antoine-speak". Typically he would have corrected Antoine's malapropism, but wanted to see where he was going. "Yes?"

Antoine found himself too mortified to even meet Stormblaze's gaze, and stared at the floor instead. "I am being very sorry for how I have acted lately and for how I have treated you. I let all of the amazing things that I have been doing lately go to _mon_ head. I was believing that asking anyone for help would make me look weak. I was a fool." If Stormblaze no longer wanted Antoine to accompany him on his quest, then he would understand. Looking back, his behavior had been embarrassingly atrocious. Stormblaze had considered him a true friend, but he had failed miserably to live up to the role. He was no better than the kinds of Mobians Stormblaze hated. His father and Sir Connery would have never done such a thing, he thought. Stormblaze would go on to find someone who was far more worthy then Antoine to accompany him on his quest, and Antoine would be alone, just like before.

Wearing a grateful smile, Stormblaze inclined his head to Antoine. "I accept your apology. Do not punish yourself too harshly. What is done has been done. But understand this: even the greatest of warriors cannot stand alone. He needs his comrades at his back to help him."

Thankful to see that Stormblaze bore no grudges against him, Antoine lifted his eyes to look at Stormblaze. "I am not understanding something. Well, at least I was thinking that I understood this before. Now I am not sure if I do. What exactly is the difference between fighting by your _mon amies'_ sides and then relying on them to fight for you?"

"When you allow them to handle all of the fighting and do not assist in any manner. Comrades-in-arms watch each other's backs on the battlefield. One soldier cannot possibly face an entire army. Your comrades keep the enemy off your back while you focus on your duty – whether that is fighting or something else."

Antoine nodded solemnly. He would keep that in mind.

"You know, I have not exactly behaved like an adult myself. Like when I told you that I did not care whether you remained here or returned to Knothole. I was angry at the time. It was just something that… came out. I apologize for upsetting you."

"It is alright. I think we both were saying things that we were not meaning."

"I was also wrong to speak of the Maddogs so disparagingly. I have no objections to your making new friends, but... just try not to forget about old Stormblaze, hmm?" He smiled lopsidedly.

Antoine quickly shook his head. "Oh no, I will never do that again!"

"I realize that what has happened to you on your journey with Luna and Seff has affected you. I will respect your wishes if you still wish to keep that tale private, but know that if you would like to talk, I am willing to listen."

Antoine contemplated the offer. Maybe if he told Stormblaze about what he had gone through, it would be a step towards helping himself feel better. He really had nothing to lose in doing so anyways. Squaring his shoulders, he mentally prepared himself to finally tell his story.

"Are you remembering what Lupe said about the Cave Of Shadows?" He asked. When Stormblaze nodded, he went on, explaining how he had seen in succession Sally, Sonic, and Rotor and what the two boys had shown him, as well as the revelation that it was all just an illusion created by the Skinwalker.

"… But even if it was not being real, now I am finally seeing that that is how they are really feeling about _moi_. Those visions – they were being pulled from _mes_ mind and heart." Antoine was saying in a voice heavy with guilt and sadness as he tapped the area over his heart. "I am the eldest, but was not acting like it! I am being just as childish as they are – no, worse! I was taught to behave justly and with honor, but I was not doing that. No wonder they are not respecting _moi_ any. I was not seeing what was right in front of _mon_ own eyes!" He buried his face in his hands. "Then I was turning around and treating you badly! I am a horrible person!"

As he sat there listening to Antoine, Stormblaze understood why he had been so badly affected by his experience. What Antoine had realized about both himself and his teammates had cut him to the core, and the Thunderbird's "gift" (Stormblaze still wasn't sure if he really wanted to call it that) had only served to further addle his troubled mind. He wondered if Antoine's behavior would have still spun out of control the way it had had those two factors not been in the picture. If Stormblaze had been a sorcerer himself, he would have resurrected the Skinwalker and then killed the foul creature a second time. He also felt anger at the young residents of Knothole Village whose thoughtless actions had help forge a continual cycle of cruelty and callousness between them and Antoine. Antoine had played his part in it, but at least he understood his misdeeds now and was admitting to it. A part of the unicorn told him that he shouldn't judge the other Knothole Freedom Fighters so harshly without even having met any of them yet. They were still young after all, merely teenagers. But his own harsh experience with being treated as a pariah by most of his fellow unicorns made putting aside his wrath towards Antoine's teammates difficult. Hopefully, once they realized they hadn't handled the situation appropriately, they would be apologetic.

Stormblaze moved closer to the coydog. Antoine kept his head lowered in an attempt to prevent Stormblaze from seeing that his eyes were shining with tears. What was it with him and crying? He knew that Stormblaze would never give him any grief about it, but he still believed crying wasn't very masculine. Doing so in front of someone like Sonic would have no doubt gotten him laughed at and deemed a crybaby.

"'Tis no shame in shedding a few tears," Stormblaze said reassuringly. "In fact, I would daresay that doing so would help relieve your stress."

"Crying is for _enfants_. No real male would ever do it." Antoine mumbled in a strained voice.

Stormblaze's expression became stern. "Hogwash. I used to believe all that 'real male' nonsense too. But the truth is that a male who cries is no weaker than a male who expresses joy, anger, or hope. It's only natural for Mobians to show emotions, regardless of their gender. Yes, there are situations in which emotions should be kept under control, but otherwise, to constantly deny them would be unhealthy and make one like… well, a robot." In an aside he added, "I am the empath here, so this is my area of expertise."

Intrigued enough to ignore his embarrassment, Antoine eyed his mentor. "Have you ever cried before?"

"Oh yes. I cried when Sir Connery was killed, and when I was little, sometimes I would go off by myself to cry after being teased by Rience and the other fawns. Now, do you believe I am weak? "

Antoine vehemently shook his head. It was comforting to hear that he wasn't effeminate for becoming so emotional.

"If you still desire to better yourself as a person, then I think you are almost there. Even the smartest or bravest individuals can ignore their own faults and miss what is right under their noises. But you have come to recognize your mistakes and understand why they are wrong. Now it is up to you to go about righting those wrongs. You can make the other Freedom Fighters see that you have changed. I know you can."

Antoine wiped his wet eyes on the back of his sleeve, but a faint smile was now tugging at the corners of his mouth. "_Merci_. I am wanting to show everybody that I am a new person. I do not know if I can, and I am being a little scared to return home, but… I guess I must be trying."

Beaming warmly, Stormblaze gave him an encouraging nod.

After a pause, Antoine said, "I miss talking like this to you. How are you being so wise?"

"I'm a unicorn," Stormblaze gave a shrug as though that answer explained everything. "No, actually, I just happened to learn from the best. And I'm still not as wise as he was."

Just then the door opened, and Bandit walked in, carrying a bushel of apples which Stormblaze hungrily eyeballed. "Hope you stayed out of trouble while I was out, Tony," He jokingly called out before addressing Stormblaze. "Well, I see you're awake and looking like your old self again. Except for that getup you're wearing. What, were you trying to get hired on at a hotel or something?"

Stormblaze glanced down at his clothing. He had forgotten that he still wore the moose servant's purloined outfit, not having had enough time to change back into his tunic, which he had taken back to the Maddogs' base when he returned there for his spatha before going to the penitentiary. "This? I needed a way to get inside Kasimir's house, so I, shall we say, borrowed this from one of his employees."

Until Bandit had mentioned it just now, Stormblaze's uncharacteristic clothing had completely slipped Antoine's mind as well. He gaped disbelievingly at Stormblaze. "_You_ were actually pretending to be a servant?"

Stormblaze shuddered at the memory. "I have a great deal of sympathy for those Mobians, more then I once did. That is not a job I would ever wish on anyone. Now, on my worse enemies, well, I would gladly wish it upon them."

Antoine chuckled at that before returning his attention to Bandit, who had deposited the apples on the table.

"Found some of these on the way back here. I got some more stuff around here too." Bandit explained, going over to the cabinets and rifling through them. Not willing to wait, Stormblaze practically pounced on an apple.

"Are the guards still out looking for us?" Antoine asked Bandit.

"It's almost a given they are, especially now that they have more light to search by. After I left earlier I saw 'em from a distance. They didn't spot me, thank the Source, but we can't stay here for long – they're bound to come this way at some point. Old Kassie's probably having kittens about this right now – if you'll pardon the pun." Returning to the table with a box of crackers, some cheese, summer sausage, and various other dried foods, he set his load down before taking a chair across from Antoine and Stormblaze.

While the trio ate lunch, they continued discussing the situation at hand. Stormblaze finally learned how Antoine and Bandit had been arrested in the first place, and he told them how he had followed Fiona when she had snuck away to meet Kasimir and listened in on their conversation.

"I say that we make Fiona pay for what she has done!" Antoine snarled, slamming a fist against the tabletop. Hearing Stormblaze's story and remembering how Fiona had betrayed him and Bandit caused his fury to return in full force.

"Whoa, settle down killer," Bandit said, trying to soothe him. "I wanna see Fiona get what's coming to her too, but we gotta be crafty about it, y'know? If we run in with our guns blazing, she'll just take off like a greyhound with its tail on fire."

Curiously, Stormblaze regarded Bandit. "What did you have in mind?"

Bandit flashed them a devious-looking smile. "That we expose her as the traitor she is in front of everybody." Listening as Bandit explained his plan, Stormblaze and Antoine both started grinning in approval.

"Oh, that would be just spectacular," Stormblaze rubbed his hands together, delighted. "So when do you propose we return?"

"We can leave now, actually. Fiona may be very smart, but she also follows a daily routine that makes her as predictable as clockwork. She should be out right now - probably off seeing her new boyfriend Kassie or something."

* * *

As Antoine, Stormblaze, and Bandit trudged their way across the landscape back to the junkyard, they kept on the lookout for danger. With three sets of ears, eyes, and noses working together, it was fairly likely that they would spot trouble first before being spotted themselves. But on the other hand, the fact that there weren't many trees in the area also meant that any enemies would be able to just as easily see them.

Mindful of what Stormblaze had gone through, Bandit asked him how his arm was doing. Stormblaze replied that he was managing, and that they shouldn't hamper their paces for his sake. Watching the two of them interact, Antoine was glad to see Stormblaze being civil and even friendly towards Bandit. With the few friends that he had, he didn't need them being jealous of one another. It then occurred to Antoine that Bandit had one less friend now. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Bandit to discover that Fiona secretly hated him enough to betray him to Kasimir without any compunction. It was like if Sir Aleron's trusted squire and good friend Roland had decided to deliver him up to the Overlord. While imprisoned, it occurred to Antoine that on the night he had encountered Fiona in the junkyard, she had likely been on her way to see Kasimir. If he had only known what she had been plotting he could've foiled her right then and there. Struck by a pang of regret, his ears drooped slightly.

"I am very sorry that Fiona was doing this terrible thing to you," He told Bandit. "I wish that I was realizing what she was really up to."

Bandit threw him a sidelong glance. "What are you apologizing for, kid? Sure, it would've been nice if we could've found out what Fiona was up to, but how was anyone to know? We ain't psychic or anything like that. We just have to catch her and make her face justice now. Y'know, I could tell in the last few years she was starting to resent me, but I guess I didn't want to believe that because I thought she and I were still friends." Stopping, he braced himself with an arm as he leaned against a tree and shook his head, apparently caught up in his own thoughts. Antoine and Stormblaze decided to stop momentarily as well.

"'Tis a shame that you and the other Maddogs must leave your home." Stormblaze put in somberly. "I am certain that all of you have done a great deal of that already." Bandit had already decided that the Maddogs would have to go stay in a temporary hideout until a new one could either be found or built. The security of their current headquarters had most likely been compromised because of Fiona, and he was not about to take any chances, as he had explained earlier.

"I admit I'm gonna miss the place. But I'd rather be minus a base then minus any of my gang. And really, what's one more move? It's something everybody risks having to do when they get into this line of work. I have a feeling that this isn't going to be the last time we're going to have to get out of Dodge – leave town." Bandit clarified the expression for Antoine's benefit when he saw a look of confusion cross his face. "You still coming with us, kid?"

"Huh?" Antoine had to think before recalling the day when Bandit, Suki, and Bonehead had approached him about joining the Maddogs. "Oh!"Antoine didn't have to look in Stormblaze's direction to know that his eyes were on him, and was hit by a wave of guilt and embarrassment. Truth be told, he had forgotten that he had even taken Bandit up on his invitation. "I am not wanting to seem like I am doing the running away on you because I am scared, but I really should have told you this before," He admitted shamefacedly. Now he worried as to how Bandit might react to what he was going to say. "When I was agreeing to become a Maddog, I am afraid I was not thinking clearly and did not put any thought into _mon_ decision at that time. I am truly honored by your offer – no one has ever done anything like it for _moi_ before - but there are things that I must be taking care of back in the Kingdom of Acorn, and... Well, I am not really sure if _moi's_ destiny is with the Maddogs. I hope you are not disappointed in _moi_."

"Hey, it's fine kid. I completely get it," Bandit assured him. "You wanna get out there and find yourself, sow your wild oats, that sort of thing."

Tilting his head to one side slightly, Antoine stared questioningly at Bandit. "Sow my wild oats?"

Bandit grinned his trademark mischievous grin. "You know, partying, meeting girls!"

"Uh, y-yes, that is exactly being it." Antoine mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck. Many English phrases may have been lost on him, but he was certain that he knew what Bandit was inferring. He knew that most males loved talking about this sort of thing, but chose to quickly change the subject because it was not only making him embarrassed but because he didn't want to display his inexperience in front of Bandit. "Is there being a chance that Fiona might be returning to seek revenge?"

"It's a possibility," Bandit replied. "But I can't see her willingly wanting to cross paths with me and the 'dogs again anytime soon - not unless she's got something big up her sleeve. You and Pony Boy here though, you're probably more ideal targets for her, it being just the two of you and all. Right now though, she's probably busy hauling tail out of this region. All the same though, you guys just watch your backs. I saw firsthand just how tricky she can be back when we both were working for Boss Fang."

* * *

After her meeting with Kasimir yesterday evening, Fiona had returned to the Maddogs' hideout. At the moment, she was in her private quarters. Her room was sumptuously decorated in dark velvet, and housed the many possessions she had accumulated throughout the years. Presently, Fiona was occupied with studying herself in a wall-mounted ornamental mirror. She was experimenting with making varying expressions of worry and sadness and mingling the two before finally deciding on the mien that she felt would be the most realistic as well as the best suited for what she was about to do. Satisfied, she went onto primp herself, paying particularly close attention to her pride and joy, her luxuriant headfur and tail.

Fiona knew she needed to carefully maintain the appropriate reaction when she delivered the "tragic news" about Bandit and Antoine to the rest of the Maddogs in order to be believable, but it was a little hard for her to keep a self-satisfied smirk off her face. After all, one of her hated enemies had finally been disposed of with no strings attached. With Kasimir's backing from behind the scenes, the Maddogs would once again rise to become one of the Great Continent's most formidable criminal syndicates, just like they had been in the days before that bloated Overlander Robotnik's takeover. That was the way things should be.

Her plan was to announce that she had discovered Bandit's bandanna, which she still had in her possession, lying on the ground by the roadway, but could find no other trace of Bandit and nothing of Antoine. That little discovery would definitely seem ominous to the other Maddogs. They knew that under normal circumstances Bandit would never willingly part with his bandanna. Fiona would then go on to say that she would try to lead the Maddogs as best she could in Bandit's absence until he could be found. Bandit was very popular, true, but Fiona was just as well-liked by their teammates, aside from a few exceptions like Suki. But any dissenters and undesirables would be taken care of in due time – as any Freedom Fighter knew from day one, their lifestyle was a very dangerous one, and it was all too easy to see a comrade suddenly die in the line of duty…

When she was finished with her grooming, Fiona exited her quarters and started making her way to the main office, where she intended to announce over the intercom that everyone needed to come to the Commons for an important meeting. She stopped, triangular ears perking up as she caught the sounds of activity and chatter coming from in the direction of the Commons. It would seem that the rest of the Maddogs were already there, and something had them excited. Good, that saved her the trouble of having to wait for everybody to show up. Intrigued, she switched directions and headed that way.

Stepping into the large room, she noticed that much of the crowd was concentrated towards the front. She began threading her way through the mass of Mobians to find out what was going on. "Hey guys, wh -" The words died in Fiona's throat, and she staggered back a few steps, not believing what she was seeing. Bandit, along with Antoine, were sitting together at one of the tables.

Seeing her reaction, Bandit merely shrugged. "I'm gonna need my bandanna back, doll."

To her credit, Fiona managed to recover her poise – somewhat. Taming her horrified surprise into a look of amazement, she blurted out, "Bandit! Antoine! Where have the two of you been? I haven't seen you all day!"

"It's really quite interesting that you should say that," Stormblaze drawled from where he sat on Antoine's left. "Yesterday afternoon, I overheard you telling them -" He pointed at Juniper and Trip, "That you had seen neither Antoine nor Bandit since they left that morning."

"That's true." Juniper confirmed, watching Fiona carefully.

"But now you say you haven't seen them all day," Stormblaze finished. "So which is it?"

The cafeteria fell deathly silent. At once, all eyes, many of them either filled with confusion or astonishment, or simmering with suspicion, turned to Fiona, waiting to see how she would respond.

For her part, the vixen fixed Stormblaze with a venomous look. "I don't know what on Mobius you're going on about, hay-breath. All I simply meant was that I haven't seen them since yesterday morning. It was just a slip of the tongue, okay?"

From the time that Fiona had first entered the Commons, Antoine hadn't said a single word, instead only glaring hatefully at her. Even though Bandit and Stormblaze had attempted to pacify him before everyone arrived, once Antoine had beheld Fiona he felt red-hot anger rising within him. He completely despised traitors. They stood against everything he believed in. Even in his old cowardly days the idea of betraying the other Knothole Freedom Fighters to their enemies had never once crossed his mind, regardless of how much they ignored and maltreated him. Yet Fiona had been well-respected and liked among the Maddogs. How could she turn on them the way she had?

"If I may?" Anubia suddenly stepped forward. "Instead of hurling accusations at one another, shall I use my abilities to read Fiona and see whether she is telling us the truth or not?" Turning away from the audience to Fiona, she added with an innocent smile, "That is, if it is acceptable by you."

Growling lightly, Fiona promptly maneuvered out of the taller canine's reach. "I didn't expect to be grilled over something as petty as an innocent remark! So now you guys don't trust me enough to take my word for it?"

"No." Suki bluntly answered. By that point, she and Dag had separated themselves from the rest of the Maddogs and now were hovering over Fiona, Suki standing on one side and Dag on the other.

Aware of their close proximity to her, Fiona kept a careful eye on the two intimidating dogs, but didn't attempt to move away this time. Instead she sneered at Suki, exposing a sharp white fang. "Of course _you_ wouldn't. You've had it out for me since day one!" Fiona turned pleading ice blue eyes to the rest of the Maddogs. "Who are you guys gonna believe – me, or some outsider?" She demanded, pointing at Stormblaze.

"Where you been sneakin' out to late at night, Fiona?" That was Bandit. Although his voice was quiet, somehow it seemed loud inside the packed space of the cafeteria. "Barkerville told me that you've been late to dinner every other week this month. Have you been having dinner somewhere else? With _somebody_ else, maybe?"

"I don't have to sit here and take this!" Fiona angrily insisted. However, she had begun carefully edging away from her audience, inching her way towards a doorway behind her as Dag and Suki advanced on her.

Antoine made to join them, but Bandit stopped him. "It's alright. Suki and Dag have this." Staring coldly at their hared nemesis, Bandit continued putting Fiona on the spot with his queries. "If you wanna clear your name so badly, then why don't you let Anubia help you? Why are you dodging our questions and not answering them?"

"Because you and everyone else are acting like a bunch of paranoid lunatics!" Fiona snapped.

Suddenly, Dag and Suki made a grab for Fiona at roughly the exact same time, but she was quicker, nimbly dodging their grasps before fleeing out the door and down the hall.

"Get 'er!" Dag snarled as he, Suki, and several other Maddogs gave chase.

* * *

By the time Dag and the other Maddogs returned minus Fiona, Bandit had just finished explaining to everyone that they needed to leave the base for their own safety and should immediately begin gathering anything of importance, like medical supplies, clothing, water, and food, as well as any items that they greatly valued but wouldn't slow them down on their journey. Antoine and Stormblaze decided to pitch in and lend their aid. At the moment, Antoine was in the kitchen helping Bando and two other Maddogs in collecting foodstuffs and cooking supplies to take.

When Suki poked her head in asking to see Bando, the hound dog left to confer with her while Antoine kept working. When he heard the kitchen door open again, he expected it to be Bando or Stormblaze, but Barkerville walked in instead. Seeing Antoine there, the Labrador retriever hesitated briefly before finally drawing himself up and striding over to the other side of the room, far from where Antoine was.

"Antoine." He greeted in a clipped tone of voice, throwing open the cupboard doors, taking out provisions, and setting them out on the countertop to be packed away. That was about as polite as Barkerville would get when it came to Antoine.

"Barkerville." Antoine replied just as frostily, not bothering to look up. _'Annoying old mongrel.'_ He sullenly thought. _'Sometimes adults act about as badly as teenagers do.'_ Though he couldn't say much about that, Antoine realized with a start, considering his own conduct towards the other Freedom Fighters.

It would've been all too easy to just keep ignoring Barkerville like he had been doing the entire time, but truthfully that was getting neither of them anywhere. It would be bigger of him to speak to Barkerville and try to get him to understand that there was no need for him to carry on the way he was.

Antoine went over to where Barkerville was now packing away the items that he had gathered in a backpack. "_Monsieur_?" He began, waiting patiently until he had the dog's complete attention. Choosing to ignore the slightly suspicious stare that Barkerville was leveling at him, Antoine went on. "You are not needing to worry about your job. Really. I am to be leaving soon."

Barkerville just continued to stare, though the glint of mistrust that had been in his eyes an instant ago was now extinguished. He seemed unsure of how to respond. "Oh… Er… Well then, good luck, I suppose."

"You did not need to be so worried in the first place. I would never do something so dishonorable as taking someone else's job."

Barkerville grunted in response and resumed working. "I see that now."

"Pardon _moi_?" Even though Barkerville had muttered those last few words, Antoine had clearly heard him. He just wanted him to expound on what he meant.

"I eventually did realize that you weren't after my job. But I still thought some of the others wanted to give it to you, and by then things had progressed so far that I really didn't know what to do. I... guess it was just easier for me to take my feelings out on you."

It wasn't quite an apology like what Antoine was hoping for, but at least Barkerville was being honest and understood that his conduct had been wrong. "Well, maybe when I am crossing paths with the Maddogs again, we could be cooking together and I could be showing you some tips?" He helpfully offered.

Barkerville's gaze turned cold. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself again, boy." Seeing Antoine frown, he sighed guiltily and massaged his forehead. "Wait, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. In fact, I… I suppose I should apologize for my prior behavior as well. You must understand, this is all rather hard for me to come out and admit. I used to think that I was quite the cook. You see, I was once the well-respected head of a prestigious chain of hotels across the country. I performed my job well, and my guests praised my establishments highly. When this horrible war broke out, I wanted to help our side, but there seemed to be no place for someone of my talents," He spread his arms, gesturing to himself. "Clearly I'm not cut out to be a soldier or a scout. So I thought I could help out by making meals for everyone. I've seen the staff at my hotel and my maid cook for us – me- so I thought that maybe I could do the same thing they did. Then when you came in and outdid me, I grew paranoid about my job. But if I can improve my skills... then I suppose that wouldn't be such a bad thing after all."

For the first time since Antoine had met him, Barkerville smiled. It was a rather weak one, but still, at least it was something. Antoine found himself empathizing with the other canine. They really weren't all that different from each other. Barkerville had become comfortable with his position among the Maddogs and had just been worried about it being taken away from him. The fact that the situation somewhat mirrored Antoine's own relationship with Sonic didn't escape him, although unlike Sonic, Antoine hadn't once considered rubbing Barkerville's nose in his shortcomings like Sonic would do to Antoine. Having been on the receiving end of such treatment, it was something that he had personally sworn never to subject another Mobian to, no matter how much they annoyed him.

"It is never being too late to learn something new, _monsieur_," He told Barkerville. "That is what I am trying to do right now, complete my training so that I can become a full-fledged knight."

"Is that so? Well, I think you can do it. You seem like one of those stubborn young sorts who never give up at something until they succeed." Barkerville said, earning an amused smile from Antoine.

* * *

When every last bit of supplies had been gathered up, the Maddogs convened out in the junkyard. Suki and Blizzard, a wolf who was an older member of the group, performed a headcount to make sure that everyone was present and accounted for. The youngest members of the pack amused themselves by talking with one another or otherwise idled about, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. Antoine and Stormblaze had chosen to travel with them a part of the way, as part of the route that the Maddogs were going would take them south, the same way that Antoine and Stormblaze were going.

*Having completed the headcount with Blizzard's aid not too long ago, Suki was now standing around with Dag and Blizzard. "Well whaddaya know, Dag. The horse _and_ the kid saved the day." The boxer commented, smiling.

"Eh," Dag shrugged his lean shoulders. "So they ain't completely useless. They're still annoyin' though."

As he strode off elsewhere, Suki glanced over at Antoine and Stormblaze, who had taken notice of their conversation, and mouthed the words, "He likes you."

Stormblaze chuckled. "I thought as much."

Just then, Bandit came jogging up. His yellow bandanna was back in its customary spot, tied around his neck. "Everybody here?" He asked Suki and Blizzard, the latter standing straight at attention now that their leader was there.

"Everyone present and accounted for, Bandit." Blizzard briskly reported.

"At ease, soldier," Bandit joked. "Well, since everybody's here now, why don't we get this show on the road?"

"Do you think we can come back one of these days?" That was Bonehead. Surprisingly enough, the massive dog sounded rather anxious as he looked at Bandit and the others. "I mean, leaving like this… It just feels like Kasimir's won."

"Hey, don't worry big guy," Bandit went up to the Irish wolfhound. "Trust me, this fight's far from over with. That slimeball and his buddy Robotnik are gonna get what's coming to them one of these days, and then we're gonna get our homes – our _real_ homes - back."

French translations:

Enfants: Children.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Author's note:** If the mention of suicide makes you uncomfortable, be forewarned that at one point in this chapter (nearly towards the end) Antoine has a pretty dark flashback involving just that, though the act itself isn't shown.

Also, I'm experimenting with writing dream sequences, so let me know how you feel about the first-person POV dream that occurs herein – if it's confusing, if it works for you, etc.

A glorious sun was slowly climbing the horizon in the east, casting a reddish-orange gleam over the sizable gathering located in the valley below. Each Maddog was giving their farewells to Antoine and Stormblaze in their own distinctive way – Trip told him to keep practicing the guitar whenever he could, Bridget had clung to Antoine and bawled her eyes out, upset over their leaving until he and Stormblaze had comforted her and promised to come see the Maddogs in the future, and so on.

When it came time for Bandit's turn to say goodbye, he gave Antoine a playful cuff. "Stay out of trouble, Tony." Casting a glance over at Stormblaze, he added, "Though I guess when you got a six-foot-four guardian angel watching out for you, I guess trouble should be more worried about running into you. Listen, if either of you boys ever need a favor, then drop me a line. I owe you big time for saving my tail."

Looking up, Bandit spotted Juniper headed their way, and turned back to Antoine. "Well, I think Slipp could use some help with his bags. I told the little hairball that he couldn't take all of Fiona's trinkets with him – he could barely fit everything into his bag." He left Antoine standing there, but not before winking suggestively at him and Juniper.

Likewise, the other Maddogs who were sanding close by suddenly made themselves scarce. Even Stormblaze abandoned Antoine. "Why, I daresay that lady over there requires some aid with her luggage," He quickly said. "I suppose I should put my expertise as a servant to good use and go assist her." Before Antoine could say anything, he had gone.

Seeing their comrades scattering like leaves, Juniper forced a laugh that was tinged with uneasiness and shifted from foot to foot. Antoine smiled weakly back at her. Thanks to Bandit's insinuation, he felt about as self-conscious as he was sure Juniper was. It would appear that Bandit and the others were just like Stormblaze, believing that he and Juniper liked one another as more than merely friends.

As if able to read Antoine's thoughts, Juniper said, "Bandit's just messing with us. Anyways, promise me you aren't going to go running into anymore doors or otherwise injuring your nose, okay? I won't be there to patch you up."

"I am hoping that my bad luck with _mon_ nose will be getting better," Antoine chuckled, starting to feel at ease again. He paused, carefully considering the other seventeen-year old. "Juniper, are you alright with this? Having to leave, I mean?" He couldn't help but be concerned for her. Even though by all outward appearances she seemed fine, she could very well be hiding how she really felt about the Maddogs' situation.

Juniper shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, I'm fine with it. After all, if we had stayed back at the base, then Kasimir or somebody else like him would be knocking at our door, and I'd hate for that to happen."

Antoine nodded quickly. "Oh, of course. But it is just that I am remembering what you said before about the base being a second home for you."

It began to dawn on Juniper what he was getting at. "Home is more than just a big headquarters or a fancy house, Antoine. Home is the Mobians around you. As long as I'm with the other Maddogs, I'm happy, and I feel at home."

Taking in her words, Antoine became contemplative. "I have never been looking at it that way before, but that is being very wise. I will remember that."

"Woman, remember?" Juniper winked at him.

* * *

"Would you have really left with them? The Maddogs, I mean?" Stormblaze's voice broke through the relative stillness of their surroundings, so it was just the two of them again. It had been an hour since they and the Maddogs had parted ways.

Antoine stiffened, and he looked down at the ground. "I'm not upset," Stormblaze quickly said, trying to assuage Antoine's discomfort. "As we both said before, we angry with each other at the time. I merely ask out of curiosity."

"I… I am not really knowing." Antoine answered truthfully. "But I do know that I would have been missing your company."

"Well, I'm glad that you did not leave. I would have missed you too."

"Gentlemen, might I request a moment of your time?"

Their personal conversation suddenly interrupted, Antoine and Stormblaze just about jumped out of their skins. The speaker was Anubia, who was standing right behind them, observing them calmly. Antoine hadn't even heard her approach. He knew she hadn't been there a moment ago, and figured she must have teleported herself there or something. She had already given them her goodbyes when they had left the Maddogs, so what could she possibly want?

Stormblaze looked like he was not inclined to be polite towards Anubia, no doubt irritated by her abrupt appearance, so Antoine took the liberty of courteously (and quickly) giving her a response. "You may." He was curious as to what she had to say.

"I apologize if my behavior has come across as strange or mysterious. I wished for an opportunity to speak with the both of you, but there were not many moments when I was able to do so without attracting unwanted attention," Raising her hand, she pointed at Antoine. "You have been touched."

"_Excusez-moi_?"

"A magical being has touched you with their blessing," Anubia clarified, coming closer. "Among my abilities, I have the gift of being able to sense arcane energy. When I first saw you, I was immediately able to tell that your aura had been altered from its normal state," Anubia's eyes then traveled over to Stormblaze. "And I know what _you_ are."

Stormblaze and Antoine exchanged uneasy glances between themselves. There was a little doubt as to what she meant by that. They wondered where this exchange was going. There likely wasn't much to worry about if Anubia publicly exposed the enchantment that had been placed over Antoine, as the duo couldn't see how that would negatively affect anything, but some problems might arise if word got out about Stormblaze really being a unicorn.

"Out with it then," Stormblaze practically growled at the pharaoh hound, whose deep blue eyes remained as unfathomable as ever as she calmly regarded him. "What do you want?"

"I desire nothing." Anubia dismissively waved a hand. "Do I really look like the kind of Mobian who would blackmail another? You have nothing that I could not acquire elsewhere by non-deceptive means."

"If you'll forgive me, most aristocrats have not given me much of a reason to place my faith with them." Stormblaze stonily returned.

In the face of Stormblaze's open suspicion, Anubia remained calm. "I am not like the aristocrats you have encountered. I have told no other of what I know. I understand the potential problems that result if knowledge of your true identity was to get out. I as well as my bloodline walk the path of twilight and serve the gods. Both they and I know the two of you have an important task set before you. It is my job to pass onto you the knowledge that my gods have chosen to share with me concerning your mission to find the Deep Power Stones, as it will help you."

"We are listening, _mademoiselle_." Antoine said. Personally, he saw nothing wrong with hearing Anubia out. Obviously she was very wise and astute, and those mystical powers of her's were impressive – she had just told them why they were traveling together without even having to ask them. While it was true that he and her did not share the same spiritual beliefs (as far as he could tell, Anubia followed some sort of polytheistic religion), but Rosie and Cat had always taught him to never judge another Mobian for what they believed in and said that everyone should be allowed to worship as they pleased (though Antoine seriously doubted that their open-minded attitudes would have extended towards the Order of Ixis).

A smile graced Anubia's tapering muzzle. Gesturing to Stormblaze, she began.

"Wandering knight, far from home that was never a home,

In search of someplace to belong."

Eyes flicking over to Antoine, she pointed to him.

"Young squire who walks but knows not where he goes,

Trapped within his father's long shadow.

One will lose something precious to him

When the Great Chimera is loosed from his prison.

The warriors will meet him in battle.

Two shall become one, and a great power unleashed,

As the forces of virtue fight in the name of peace."

Antoine flicked one ear back, completely lost. Some portions of Anubia's poem he understood; obviously the "wandering knight" and the "young squire" were Stormblaze and himself, but the other parts were about as clear as mud to him. He would have been just as confused if Anubia had spoken to them in Swedish.

"A breakdown of the second half please, for those of us who do not engage in mind games and riddles as a pastime?" Stormblaze sarcastically asked.

To her credit, Anubia ignored his dig. "My apologies. I am only the gods' messenger. The only thing I can say with certainty is that the 'Great Chimera' mentioned is the one who calls himself Ixis Naugus."

"You were saying 'one will lose something precious'," Antoine spoke up, his countenance shaken. "Are you saying that one of us will?..." He couldn't bring himself to say the word 'die'.

Anubia gave him a look that was filled with sympathy. "Who can say how the prophecy will play out? That part could mean anything. Only the gods know the answer."

* * *

'_Being on the run sucks,'_ Fiona bitterly reflected as she munched on some wild berries she had found quite by accident while navigating her way through a thicket. She had nothing but the clothes on her back, and frankly, really wasn't too sure how well she was cut out for this outdoors stuff. The last source of water she managed to find was yesterday evening. She really wasn't even sure where she was. All she knew was that she was at least forty miles outside Carnia. She didn't dare run to the city though – Bandit had friends there who would not hesitate to tell the Maddogs where she was.

Dag and the others had tried to hunt her down, but Fiona hadn't been made Bandit's deputy for nothing. She had outfoxed her pursuers, and was now making her way northwest. She would lay low in some podunk village or something for a while, and do what she did best – plan her next move.

The vixen was still fuming over the fact that her deception had been uncovered. It was all the fault of that idiot Antoine and that nosey old nag Stormblaze! If they hadn't intervened, then the Maddogs would have been none the wiser about her scheme and she would've been running the show already!

Fiona tightly clenched her hands into fists. Those two interlopers had crossed the wrong Mobian…

* * *

_Antoine walks through the gardens of Castle Acorn. The little coydog pup is trying to find his school-age friends. Compared to the last time he had seen the place, the last vision shown to him by the Skinwalker, the garden looks a lot more inviting and vibrant, and thankfully normal, just like it had been prior to that terrible day of the coup._

"_Up here, Antoine!" The voice of a young boy giggles. It sounds like it's coming from the crown of one of the huge Mazurian jackalberry trees growing close by. Looking up into the tree's widespread branches and at the tree house that had been built there, Antoine sees the face of Prince Elias Acorn, who grins in greeting down at him through one of the tree house's windows, and grins back. He and the ground squirrel/chipmunk are the same age, and had quickly bonded because of it. While Sally, Sonic, Rotor, and the other children who lived at the castle eventually grew tired of having to pretend to be knights and the like over and over during playtime (especially when Antoine would insist that one of them be the Overlord, or Blood Talon the Nightbeast, or some other villain from one of the old tales), wanting to play another game or activity instead, Elias was always up for a rousing game of knights._

_Happy to be reunited with Elias, Antoine starts to climb up to the tree house, but Elias comes out and scurries down the tree's trunk with all the nimbleness and agility that would be expected of a chipmunk (or a half-chipmunk, anyways), a small wooden sword hanging from the gold belt looped about his waist. Approaching Antoine, he draws his sword. "Sir Antoine! Are you ready to do battle with… Blood Talon?" The little prince dramatically asks. _

_Noticing that he is indicating something behind him, Antoine turns to see what it is. It_ is _Blood Talon._ _The dark green, battle-scarred dragon whose colossal size dwarfed Dulcy was flying towards them, mouth open in a snarl and yellowed, wickedly sharp fangs bared._

_But Antoine is unafraid. Pulling out his own (toy) sword, he raises it and points it at his foe. "Blood Talon, on mon honor as a knight, I will defeat you!"_

_Roaring battle cries at the tops of their lungs, Antoine and Elias charge at Blood Talon together as he lands and breaths a stream of fire at them. At the last minute, the tiny warriors spilt up, each jumping in different directions to avoid the fiery attack. Moving fast, Elias scrambles on top of Blood Talon's back, using the dragon's rough scales as toeholds, and began yank hard at his webbed ears, trying to keep him distracted. As Blood Talon turns his focus to his pesky adversary, twisting his scaly head around to snap at him, Antoine takes advantage of this and hurls his sword straight at the rogue dragon's exposed throat. _

_As the attack hits home, Blood Talon unleashes a roar of defeat. His entire body appears to combust in a brilliant explosion of gold sparks, as if he had swallowed a bunch of fireworks which had suddenly gone off inside him. When Antoine and Elias could see again, they were relieved and gladdened to see that there was absolutely nothing left of the dreaded legendary beast. Smiling, they turn to one another and shake hands. _

"_You did it, Antoine!" exclaims Elias._

"_But I could not have done it without your help!" Antoine says. "You distracted him for moi!"_

_Elias looks back at the spot where Blood Talon had once stood and then to Antoine, a happy little smile on his face. "We do make a pretty good team, huh? When I become king someday, wanna be one of my knights?" _

"_Oui! King Elias and Sir Antoine!" Antoine laughs, thrilled by the idea of being a real knight and his best friend becoming ruler of the entire kingdom. Elias joins in. "Nothing can stop us!"_

As he lingered between sleep and wakefulness, Antoine became aware that he was smiling and chuckling slightly. Slowly opening his eyes,he thought to himself,_ 'That was one strange dream.'_ After lying there on his sleeping bag for a minute a longer, he finally decided to get up, and opened the tent flap, revealing a gray morning sky overlooking a sandy stretch of land that had a few small trees and brush growing here and there. In the past several days, he and Stormblaze had spent much of their time tramping through low, flat marshland splintered by numerous rivers. Not wanting to face the prospect of spending a night with the mosquitoes and muck, they had chosen to trudge onwards in the increasing gloom of the evening to see if they find some dry land. Their hard work had paid off when they had discovered their current campsite.

Stormblaze was nowhere in sight, although Antoine did notice a small fire blazing off to the right of where his tent was located. Figuring that Stormblaze had left of his own accord and would return shortly, he decided to get down to business of making breakfast.

"Good afternoon."

Antoine, who was busy frying some canned potatoes that he had seasoned over the fire, glanced up to see Stormblaze walking towards him across the sand dunes carrying his longbow.

"Good afternoon?" Antoine repeated, confused.

Making himself comfortable on the ground, Stormblaze set his longbow aside. A sprig of grass hanging from the corner of his mouth bobbed up and down as he slowly chewed it. "Aye. Morn departed at least five hours ago. 'Tis midday now."

Antoine knew how Stormblaze was when it came to getting up in the morning. "_Mon_ apologies! I was not meaning to sleep in so late."

"No no, it's fine. After all excitement of the past few days, you needed the sleep." That much was true, but he also hadn't wanted to wake Antoine because he seemed to be dreaming. An enjoyable dream too, judging by the positive emotions he had been putting off, and far be it from him to interrupt Antoine when he was having happy thoughts for a change. Stormblaze's curiosity was about to lead him to break one of his own rules. "You know… you were mumbling in your sleep. What was that about?"

Antoine grimaced, feeling silly, but answered him anyways. "I was having a dream about_ mon amie_ Prince Elias. He and I were _enfants_ and fighting Blood Talon together back at Castle Acorn." Seeing that his potatoes were finished, he set the skillet aside and let out a sad sigh. "I am missing him."

"Ah." Stormblaze knew of Elias from his talks with Sir Connery. He also knew that no one had any knowledge of the fate that had befallen King Maximilian's eldest kit during Robotnik's siege on Mobotropolis. It was a bit of a mystery as to why he had not been with the other children when they were all evacuated, but the poor lad hadn't been seen since that day. "Were you and he close?"

"_Oui_. Before leaving for La Valette, we always played together. We liked to pretend that we were being knights and fighting monsters and things like that. He was always telling _moi_ that once he became king, I would be his number one knight. I have not been having a dream about him in a long time." Antoine answered distantly, spooning some of the skillet's hot contents onto a plate he had gotten for himself. He held the skillet out in Stormblaze's direction, but Stormblaze shook his head.

"Thank you, but I have already eaten."

Antoine set the skillet back down. From where he sat, Stormblaze observed him, sensing that he wanted to say more.

Although he was hungry, Antoine ignored the full plate of food in front of him. "Stormblaze? Do you think he could still be alive? I mean, if Sir Connery was able to be surviving, then could Elias have as well?"

Very carefully, Stormblaze thought his reply over. He did not wish to fill Antoine with false hope, but at the same time, neither did he want to be too blunt. Antoine was a sensitive sort. Realistically, even if Elias had survived the initial attack on the castle, the chances of a ten-year old surviving by himself for long were slim, unless he had been found and taken in by someone. On the other hand, if he had been caught by Robotnik, then he most likely would have found the prince far too valuable to kill. If Elias was in his clutches, then chances were that he was either a prisoner or had been roboticized and made into a Robian, which essentially was the same thing as being a prisoner.

"Anything could have happened. So I suppose there is a chance that he could be safe and sound somewhere." Stormblaze answered.

Antoine felt a little comforted by this possibility, and finally took his first bite of food - a banana nut muffin, one from a whole batch that Barkerville had insisted on giving them. In between bites, Antoine asked Stormblaze where he had gone off to. He commented that he had decided to do some scouting to see if they were going to have to put up with more boggy terrain, and unfortunately, the answer was yes.

After some annoyed griping from Antoine in turn, Stormblaze decided it was time for a change of topic. "I have a confession I wish to make."

Antoine didn't bother looking up from his meal. "What about?"

"I really should have been more forthcoming about this earlier, but, uh… I am not actually a knight. I mean, Edward is. But not I."

Antoine froze, his fork halfway to his mouth."What?"

Seeing his stunned expression, Stormblaze fidgeted uncomfortably. Perhaps he should've saved his report about the terrain for later and gotten his confession out of the way first. "I never was actually knighted. I really did not want to be part of any fraternity that would count Rience as a member. But Connery… he made me realize that not all knights were like Rience. I would be most honored if someone was to knight me, but I am still searching for a liege who I can trust and is true of heart. I wished to tell you all this earlier, but… well, you were so pleased to hear I was a knight that after a while it became difficult to say anything about it."

Finally finding his voice, Antoine glared at him. "You!... You were scolding _moi_ about lying before, but then you were doing the same thing? That is not fair!"

In the face of Antoine's indignant anger, Stormblaze could only look down to the side in both shame and abashment. "Yes, I am fully aware of my hypocrisy. From now on, I shall endeavor to always be upfront with you. Promise." He put his right hand over his heart and raised his other hand.

Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Antoine's frown softened somewhat. "Well… okay. I am forgiving you."

Stormblaze was relieved. He had figured that Antoine would be upset but wouldn't hold a grudge against him, and being able to finally get that burden off his chest felt good.

Finishing breakfast, Antoine went to work cleaning the dishes while Stormblaze dismantled the tent. "You know, it's good to have the old you back, little wolf." Stormblaze remarked while he worked.

"It is being good to be back." Antoine returned his smile before sobering. "Stormblaze, are you thinking I should go back to Knothole? To see if I can start over there and be a better person?" Lately, he had been having second thoughts about returning. He remembered Stormblaze saying that he saw no need to remain on Avalonia because he felt unwelcomed there. Antoine wondered if his situation was the same and if he was just better off cutting his ties with Knothole altogether. Trying to decide what he should do was frustrating.

"That is something you must decide for yourself, I'm afraid."

Antoine sighed. He had really been hoping to receive a much less ambiguous answer. "But what if they really are hating _moi_ and not wanting me around?" He asked, wiping a little too roughly with his dishtowel at the wet plate he was holding.

"Then that is their loss. I for one am honored to call you friend." Stormblaze said. Glancing over at the unicorn and into his gray eyes, Antoine knew he meant every word.

"You spoke fondly enough of Bunnie, as well as the old one and the fox lad… Tails, was it?" Stormblaze continued. "Perhaps you should return to see them if nothing else."

That was something Antoine had not previously considered. While he knew he had tried even Bunnie's veritable well of patience at times with his behavior, he realized that she still seemed to be more accepting of his quirks then the others were, and knew she would be upset and worried about him if he were to never return to Knothole. Much to his great shame, he had forgotten all about Rosie. Since the war had begun, she had become the closest thing to a mother that he had had. As for Tails, it was true that their relationship was not as brotherly as it was between the fox and Sonic, but Tails did treat him with a little more respect than the other Knotholers did, and in turn Antoine was fond of him.

"You are being right…" Antoine slowly said, "But I could never stay in Knothole if most of the others are hating _moi_. That would be a terrible existing." He supposed he couldn't uphold his vow to his mother to keep Sally safe if she really wanted nothing to do with him, and even with there being a small minority of Mobians who actually cared for him in Knothole, he certainly didn't want to keep living there if his presence wasn't desired by the majority. He didn't think that his parents would want him to live in unhappiness either, vow or no vow. "If I must leave, then where am I supposed to be going? What could I be doing?" Working as a knight in the Acorns' service had long been a dream of his, but now he wondered if it had really been his own dream all along or a just desire to please his father and carry on in his footsteps.

Having finally packed the tent away, Stormblaze turned to Antoine. "That's 'existence'. Anyways, if you so desire, then you may travel with me. I plan to journey all over Mobius and do my part to help out in the war, and of course, see if I can find other unicorns."

Antoine gawked at him. "You would still let me travel with you?"

"Why, I cannot believe you would even ask me such a question after all we have been through together!" Stormblaze replied in mock outrage. "Did you honestly believe that I would just leave you high and dry, little wolf?"

Smiling slightly, Antoine shrugged sheepishly. "It is just that I am knowing I can be burdensome sometimes… especially recently."

"Everyone becomes vexed at their friends on occasion. I know I can be trying to be around at times – as hard as that is to believe," Stormblaze winked at Antoine, indicating that he was only joking. "At least you've come to recognize your flaws and are trying to improve yourself. Just understand that no one – of this physical world, anyways - is perfect, and can never be. Show me someone who claims to be, and I will show you a liar."

* * *

Antoine deflected another waster thrust aimed at him with his own waster. Undaunted, Stormblaze pressed the attack, going for Antoine's arms, chest, shoulders – just about anywhere he could reach. Antoine tried to fend him off, but Stormblaze was a quick and _very_ skilled opponent, especially compared to Antoine himself (this was even more obvious now that Antoine's powers were apparently inactive). This time around, Stormblaze had allowed him to him forgo wearing a blindfold. He had also told him to not to use his powers, but Antoine finally admitted that back at Carnia Penitentiary, his powers had failed him during the Combot fight and he didn't think they had returned yet. Stormblaze took that opportunity to lecture him on why his experience perfectly highlighted the importance of not solely relying on one's powers in the off-chance that you wound up in a dangerous situation and could not summon them for whatever reasons.

"Keep your arms up!" Stormblaze barked at him. "Or else I can do… this!" Stepping past Antoine's defenses, he used his much heavier weight to shove him down to the ground. Looming over the downed canine, Stormblaze prepared to end the match, but Antoine recovered and quickly rolled to one side. He swiped at Stormblaze's legs with his waster, but the other, seeing the move, managed to jump out of the away in time. Landing, he swung his waster at Antoine, who ducked under the strike and jabbed his opponent in the mid-section.

Stormblaze dropped his waster and raised his hands in defeat. "I thought I told you not to use those powers." He admonished Antoine, who stood there still holding his waster and wearing an astonished expression.

"I was not trying to. It was just something that was happening – which means I was not losing them after all!" Grinning broadly at this realization, Antoine began jumping up and down in pure elation. "I'm not useless anymore!"

"You never were useless, just untrained. And don't get so hung up on having those powers. It is not enough to just have power. One must employ it wisely, meaning only when necessary and as far as one must. Take me for example. I do not go around reading and manipulating the emotions of everyone I meet with my telempathy, even though I could if I really wanted to. But I mostly use it to read others – for example, determining whether or not someone can be trusted."

"Of course," Antoine replied matter-of-factly, having calmed down… well, somewhat. He had quit bouncing around like a young rabbit at any rate. "You are not being that type of person."

"Believe me, there have been occasions where I have been greatly tempted to employ my telempathy for such trickery. Anyone can be corrupted by power. Not just physical powers such as ours', but political power and the like as well. Sometimes, when someone gains a lofty position, like leadership or knighthood, they use their new privileges to their advantage or to mistreat others. I do not want you to go down such a path."

Antoine nodded in understanding. He remembered all too well how cocky he had become when he had first gained his powers. He supposed it didn't take that much of a push to go from thinking you were better than others simply because you had an amazing power or ability of some kind or a high social status to abusing that power in some manner.

Also, while he was thrilled to have his powers once again, another part of him wasn't too sure if he should be happy they were back if they were going to be accompanied by that creepy inner voice that had flattered him and made him believe he was practically invincible. The voice seemed to have abandoned him right before his powers had, and hopefully it would stay gone.

In spite of his victory against Stormblaze, Antoine's lack of training still showed, as his movements were nowhere near as smooth as an experienced swordsman's would be, and his balance was still off. The first time they had practiced sword combat after the tragic incident in Rose Creek, Stormblaze had noticed that Antoine was slightly out of shape and tired quickly. This still seemed to be the case even now, but it didn't stop Stormblaze from pushing him hard. He told Antoine that the more he practiced, the more used his body would become to such vigorous activity.

Antoine enjoyed their sparring sessions. Granted, he did wind up with more than a few aching muscles and bruises, but in spite of the pain, it was strangely satisfying to be earning bruises from learning how to do something that would benefit him as well as others. Stormblaze was the ideal teacher. While he was firm, he never raised his voice or made Antoine feel nervous about doing something, or belittled him for not instantly getting a certain move down correctly. Stormblaze had told him that if a person lacked the patience to teach, then they had no business teaching anyone anything in the first place. He reminded Antoine of his two favorite teachers at La Valette, Sir Joram and Lady Diamanta. For the most part he loved most of La Valette's staff, but those two were his absolute favorites.

Diamanta was a wildcat. She possessed incredibly sharp retractable claws which had earned her her name and used them to devastating effect on foes, but when it came to teaching her students, she was as gentle as a kitten. Like Stormblaze, she also made the learning experience entertaining, often turning her lessons into games, but at the same time never allowed them to stray from their true objective. Sir Joram, the elegant white taigan, was distinguishable by both his speed and the sapphire blue suit of armor he wore into battle. The sighthound may not have been as fast as Sonic was, but to see him run was like watching poetry in motion. Antoine remembered the first night he had been at La Valette and was unable to sleep due to being homesick, so he had snuck out of the boys' dormitory to explore the rest of the school. He had run into Joram quite by accident just as Joram was about to retire to his quarters, and feared he had angered the great knight with his disobedience. But instead, Joram had only questioned Antoine as to why he was still awake, and learning that he missed his family, comforted him. They had then shared a light snack before Joram sent him back to bed. Antoine hoped that the two knights and the rest of La Valette had escaped Robotnik's wrath, but he knew that they wouldn't hesitate to throw themselves into battle against the hated despot to protect innocent lives.

"Wait until this mess is over with and we arrive in the Acorn Kingdom." Stormblaze was saying, drawing Antoine back to the present. He had taken an apple from Antoine's knapsack and was eating it. "We're going to focus on fine-honing your agility, speed, and reflexes, and I'm going to make a proper pell for you to practice your maneuvers and strikes on for an hour."

"Is that being a threat?" Antoine cheekily asked. Feeling fatigue setting in, he located his canteen and took a swig, glad for the shade provided by the few trees that still grew in this area. He and Stormblaze had stopped by a small lake, having finally left the much-loathed marshes behind. The weather was getting warmer and warmer all the time, although it was still springtime.

For a moment, Stormblaze was silent, much to Antoine's bemusement. "Antoine, did you actually just make a joke?" He finally asked.

It took Antoine a few seconds to register exactly _what_ he had said and why it had earned him such a response. His eyes widened in surprise. "I think I did!"

They shared a look between themselves before the both of them broke up laughing. Stormblaze poked him in the arm. "See? There is nothing wrong with having a laugh or two. We're not in the military. I won't scold you for having a sense of humor."

"Maybe you are right. But someone is needing to be the serious one between us." Antoine loftily replied. He wasn't being entirely serious when he said that, knowing that that particular role was shared by them both, although he still wasn't as apt to joke around as much Stormblaze was.

"Levity has its place just as much as seriousness does. You'd be surprised how much laughter benefits us mentally and physically. It is a particularly precious thing when one does what we do. Can you imagine seeing continuous bloodshed and violence nearly every single day and then never having a lighter moment? Why, you would go mad. In fact, I have heard tales of some warriors who actually have."

Antoine thought Stormblaze had a good point, one that he had never really considered before. Laughing usually did help to put him in a good mood, so it would stand to reason that it would also really help someone who witnessed grim sights on a daily basis.

Hearing Stormblaze mention the word bloodshed also brought Antoine's mind back to something that had had him troubled and uncertain: Anubia's prophecy. Was it saying that one of them was going to die? Antoine didn't even want to contemplate the idea of Stormblaze dying. He didn't think he would be able to handle it. He had been robbed of one good friend already. It was funny how attached he had become to Stormblaze – their friendship had almost never even happened in the first place because of a silly mistake on Antoine's part. Fortunately, their friendship hadn't just survived; it had strengthened with time as well. He didn't just admire Stormblaze, he trusted him with his life, and believed Stormblaze felt the same way about him. Well… okay, so maybe Stormblaze didn't look up to him in the same way that he did the unicorn, but Antoine did think that Stormblaze viewed him in a manner similar to how Lupe looked out for Luna and Seff, or even how Sonic treated Tails like a foster brother. Only Antoine and Stormblaze's relationship was a partnership of equals rather than a hero and his younger sidekick.

Wondering why Antoine had suddenly gone silent, Stormblaze asked, "What troubles you, little wolf?"

Antoine glanced to Stormblaze. "Are you ever worrying about being killed in battle or something?"

"Not particularly. For a unicorn, the greatest honor in the world is to give one's life in the name of a worthy cause."

"So unicorns are not scared of dying?"

Stormblaze shook his head. "No, not really. Our life spans are so long that I suppose we… well, living almost becomes like a chore for us. We view death – well, the afterlife anyways - as being a new stage of existence to explore. A life only half-lived is something far more frightening to us. Would you not agree?"

It was a noble sentiment, but Antoine couldn't fathom the idea of not fearing death, especially if your demise occurred in a painful or gruesome fashion.

Sensing his companion's unease, Stormblaze said, "Death is a journey that we all must embark upon at some point in time. Even us magnificent unicorns." Antoine smiled wanly at his attempt at a joke, but Stormblaze knew that he was still disturbed. "What's bought all this talk of death on, anyways?"

"What Anubia was telling us after we were leaving the Maddogs."

"Oh, that." Stormblaze's manner became one of blithe dismissal. "Sometimes I am of the mind that mages and seers enjoy bedeviling us poor beleaguered ordinary folk with their riddles and talking in circles."

"What are thinking she meant when she was saying 'One will lose something precious to him"?"

Stormblaze arched an eyebrow. So Antoine was worried about one of them getting killed. "Do not spend time worrying yourself sick over that. The loss she spoke of could very well mean a different sort of loss then what you are thinking about."

"Whatever it is meaning, loss is never being a good thing." Getting up, Antoine walked over to the shore's edge. Bending down, he grabbed a handful of pebbles from off the ground and began pitching them one by one into the lake.

As he studied Antoine, Stormblaze stroked his beard. Antoine was right. Loss wasn't exactly associated with very many positive things. He wondered what he could say to Antoine that would alleviate his unease.

He joined his friend by the lake, kneeling beside Antoine so he could be closer to his level. Antoine didn't look at him, but continued pitching pebbles instead.

"Now see here," Stormblaze began. "I know that everyone speaks of prophecies and destiny as being set in stone, but the truth is they really are not. Do you know why?" Not waiting for Antoine to answer, he went on. "No one knows exactly how they will play out. Prophecies are merely guidelines, and can only be interpreted after they have come to pass. We cause future events to happen because of the choices we make as individuals. A prophecy may still come true, but how and when it will actually occur is entirely in our hands. We make our own destinies."

Antoine met his eyes, a spark of determination in his own gaze. "Well, if that is being the case, then I will do everything in _mon_ power to be making sure that nothing will happen to you."

Touched, Stormblaze couldn't help but smile. "I would expect no less, little wolf." He wasn't surprised that Antoine was uncomfortable with confronting mortality, including his own. A lot of mortals were that way. Antoine had displayed a similar trepidation about death earlier when they had to bury Tomlan.

Now feeling more relaxed, Antoine watched the waves lap gently at the rocky shoreline when Stormblaze addressed him again. "Have you ever seen a body before? Prior to what happened with Tomlan, I mean?"

For several minutes Antoine didn't say or do anything, but finally gave a slow nod. "I am remembering the first official mission I went on with the other Freedom Fighters. It was just the four of us – Sally, Sonic, Rotor, and I. We were going to Robotropolis. While we were scouting around, we noticed a SWATBot patrol coming towards us, so we were hiding in one of the empty homes nearby. While we waited for the patrol to be moving on, Sonic, he was being curious and started looking around the house. T-the family who had lived there was in the dining room - a father, a mother, and a _petite fille_ – a little girl." Pausing, he swallowed hard.

"All them were being dead. They had been there a while. We found an open bottle of poison on the table. Rather than be captured by Robotnik, they were choosing to kill themselves. " His voice had become a rough whisper. That was one memory that he really wanted to forget, but the faces of that family had haunted his nightmares for some time afterwards. The grisly scene had shaken the others up as well – he remembered how he and Rotor had begun gagging and retching, while Sonic and Sally had haunted expressions on their faces. After the four were certain that the SWATBots had moved on, they had wasted no time in getting out of the house. As far as Antoine was aware of, the other three teens had never really spoken about the incident, even up to the time when he had left Knothole Village.

So lost was he in the dark memory that he nearly forgot about Stormblaze's presence until the other laid a hand on his shoulder and spoke. "I am sorry that all of you had to see something like that. At that age you should have been busy having fun, not… not seeing dead children," Stormblaze's eyes hardened as he looked to the horizon dividing land from the vivid blue sky. "I curse that Overlander's name to the heavens."

Antoine thought back to one particular night in Knothole sometime after his first mission. Having just suffered an especially horrific nightmare, he had ventured outside and found his way over to the Power Ring Grotto. The way the glowing full moon had looked reflected on the dark, calm surface of the water still stood out in his mind as vividly as it had when he first saw it. As he had stood there looking down at the pond, he had sworn an oath to see that Robotnik was stopped for good – for that deceased family, for his family, for everyone else who had had a loved one whose life had been claimed by the conflict Robotnik had started. He glanced to Stormblaze. "Are you thinking we can actually stop him? Robotnik, I mean?"

"Tyrants such as he rarely remain in power for long. He has earned the wrath of far too many creatures. That one will wind up dead someday, either by his own hand, those of his subordinates, or someone else's, you mark my words."

* * *

While Antoine and Stormblaze were closing in on the southern coast, Sierra Verde was still far away. They could travel through the Southern Continent to get there, but that might be problematic, given that the Southern Continent was partly arid desert country, something they weren't prepared to deal with. The other option was finding some way to cross the immense gulf dividing the Great Continent from its smaller southern neighbor.

While he was enjoyed seeing all the interesting new locales, Antoine had become so sick of having to walk everywhere that he would have even accepted a lift from Sonic of all Mobians at that moment. Well, maybe. At least he had Stormblaze with him. Right now, he was in the middle of telling Antoine a story about a unicorn named Augustine who had lived in a kingdom whose exact whereabouts had been lost to time ages ago. Supposedly he had been a giant among unicorns, standing taller than even a Shire stallion, with a three-foot long horn to match, and could fight four gryphons at one time and come out victorious. Antoine found himself completely caught up in the tale, practically envisioning the scenes that Stormblaze was describing in his mind.

"… As the years slowly passed and Augustine grew older, he knew his time was drawing near. While patrolling the outskirts of the realm one day, he came upon an old human in the forest who was most disheartened. Augustine could sense an otherworldliness air about this strange human, and suspected him of being a wizard. 'What ails your heart, old one?' asks he.

'Sir unicorn, the land is in need of a ruler, one who can protect our realm and reign with knowledge and justness.' Says the Wizard. 'I have searched far and wide, but have found none suitable for this duty.'

'Let this ruler find themselves.' Augustine replied. 'The people will need a symbol, one that all, rich and poor, weak and strong, may believe in, just as you want them to believe in your ruler.'

'But what should such a symbol be?' asked the Wizard. 'In this era of war and strife, many will only believe in the power of the sword.'

'Then let your ruler's symbol be a sword.' And before the Wizard could stop him, Augustine reared back and plunged his horn straight down into a nearby boulder. It made tremendous racket, like a train smashing into a wall of iron. When the Wizard saw that Augustine's horn, impaled deep inside the stone, had broken off at the base and that Augustine was now laying on the ground bleeding and gravely injured, he let out a great cry of shock and grief. Before dying, Augustine told the Wizard what he needed to do. And upon his death, the horn magically transformed into a beautiful sword that shone brighter then the full moon. The silver blade was decorated with a spiraling design like what you would see on alicorn. It was named the Sword of Light.

Following Augustine's directions, the Wizard set forth a decree across the land - whosoever could free the Sword of Light from the boulder would become the kingdom's new ruler. It's said that it was eventually freed by a young warrior who the Wizard then crowned king. His rule bought an era of justice and peace to the realm, but after his reign was over, the sword was lost somehow."

Having gotten over his shock at what Augustine had done, Antoine found his voice. "What was happening to it?"

"No one really knows. Some say that the whole story is nothing more than an old wives' tale."

Antoine considered that. "Well… I like to think it is being true. It is sad that Augustine was having to die, but he did so doing something that would help the kingdom."

"Well said." Stormblaze nodded. There was something wonderfully fantastical about the story of a mighty sword borne of alicorn and the unicorn it had come from playing a role in revealing a great king, and even better, all of it actually being true.

Reaching the crown of the hill that they had been walking up, Antoine and Stormblaze stopped and looked over the panoramic view that was spread before them. Steeply sloping hills covered in tall grass that swayed back and forth under the wind's gentle breath led the way down to the valley below, where they saw a small airport that included a runway, a hangar, and several other smaller buildings.

"What manner of village is that?" Stormblaze asked.

"It is being an airfield," Antoine explained, his curiosity piqued. "Let us go have a closer look."

They made their way down to the valley floor. Upon reaching the airstrip, the pair moved about cautiously, not knowing what they might find there. They noted the tall grass and weeds growing wild on the property and how the paint on the walls of the building had begun to chip and flake away. The place appeared to have been abandoned sometime ago. Antoine wondered what had happened to the owners.

When they got to the hangar, Antoine had Stormblaze help him push the doors open so he could take a look inside. Once they had them open, Antoine looked inside and spotted one lone airplane. Perhaps someone had taken the others. Antoine made a beeline for the plane, Stormblaze tentatively following behind.

The airplane was a single-engine model, so it was a lot smaller then the multi-engine planes professional pilots would fly their passengers to and fro across the country and elsewhere in. It was white, with a design consisting of a broad sky blue band spilt by three thinner white lines running from nose to tail on each side, and sky blue tipping the wings. Antoine walked around the aircraft, reaching a hand out to touch the cool metal side almost reverently. Finding the door on the pilot's side unlocked, he opened it and scrambled inside. As he settled down in the seat and studied the controls, his eyes lit up, and he rolled the window down. "Stormblaze, this is being perfect!" He shouted at the unicorn, who had remained outside.

Stormblaze didn't seem to share his enthusiasm, only glaring mistrustfully at the airplane instead. "Whatever do you mean? Get out of that thing at once! It is unsafe!"

"Are you not seeing this?" Antoine asked, his excitement undiminished by his friend's sudden strange behavior. "We can fly to Sierra Verde!"

"Completely out of the question," Stormblaze huffed. "I know I cannot fly a plane. Don't tell me you can."

"I can."

"What? Were you not telling me earlier that you had no skills?"

"Oh, that was because I felt I was having no skills that were… oh, what is being the word?" His brow knitted into a thoughtful frown for a moment before his visage brightened. "Ah, unique to _moi_. You see, Rotor can fly an airplane as well. But anyways, I can be taking us to Sierra Verde in this." Sticking an arm out the window, Antoine patted the side of the plane.

Stormblaze gave a firm shake of his head. "I do not believe that would be safe."

"Stormblaze! I am not believing that you are doubting _mon_ skills!" Antoine exclaimed, unable to help feel a little offended. Stormblaze had supported him this far, but when Antoine was actually feeling confident about something, he suddenly didn't want to trust him?

"No, I do not doubt your skill. I merely doubt the safety of that machine," He tilted his horn in the direction of the plane. "You could go out and find us a professional who has flown since his youth, and I would still not get on one."

"But it is not being as dangerous as you are believing! I will be checking it to make sure we are having lots of fuel and everything!"

Antoine's attempt to put Stormblaze at ease did no good. Stormblaze stayed put. "As I said before, I refuse to set a hoof in that contraption. If unicorns were meant to fly, then we would have been born with wings!"

Antoine sighed. Stormblaze was being incredibly stubborn. He didn't think he had ever seen a person complain so much before. He even put Sonic's griping over gardening duty to shame. It was almost like he was…

"Are you afraid of flying, Stormblaze?" Antoine asked, carefully watching Stormblaze's face. Lupe had told him that everyone had something that they were afraid of. Perhaps Stormblaze's fear was flying? The idea of someone like him actually fearing something was an odd thought, considering how brave he was otherwise.

"No, I just -" Stormblaze faltered, realizing Antoine was closely observing him. "Somewhat." He grudgingly admitted.

Antoine raised his eyebrows, continuing to stare. The two stared unblinkingly at each other before Stormblaze finally threw his hands up in defeat. "Alright! Yes, I am scared of flying! Are you pleased now?"

His outburst left Antoine rather startled. "I am not being happy you are scared of something. I was just wondering why you were acting so strangely. There is no shame in admitting that you are having a fear. Lupe was telling _moi_ that everyone is having one."

Guilt crept over Stormblaze's features. The logic in Antoine's words as well as seeing his reaction to his yelling made Stormblaze realize he had overreacted. "Indeed, she is quite right," He replied, much more calmly then before. "Why not go by foot or ship instead? I should think that we might be able to find a ship willing to take us there," Turning, he began heading back towards the hanger doors. "Come, let us start searching, and maybe we shall find someone who can help us."

Watching, Antoine allowed him to advance a few feet before suddenly calling out after him, "A true knight will be doing anything for the greater good."

Those eleven words stopped Stormblaze dead in his tracks. His broad shoulders sagged in defeat. "Very well." He joylessly said after a moment. "You say you can fly that thing?" He turned to regard Antoine, who nodded.

"_Oui_."

He sighed. "Fine. I will ride in your airplane. But if we crash somewhere and wind up running out of food, I shall eat you first and then turn you into a furcoat."

Antoine rolled his eyes at Stormblaze's empty threat before grinning excitedly. Opening the door, he jumped out of the plane. "Before we are going anywhere, I must be making sure that the plane is shift-shape and that we have enough fuel. Do not worry. Once we are in the air, you will love it. It will be like nothing that you have ever been seeing before!"

"Ship-shape." Stormblaze muttered under his breath, still not looking very convinced.

**Author's notes:** The story Stormblaze tells about Augustine is inspired by a story that I read at Matthew Webber's website _Unicorn Dream_. It's basically my headcanon on the origins of the Sword of Light from the Archie comics. I thought it'd be an interesting little myth to toss in.

Concerning Elias, I've wanted to work him (or at a flashback about him) into the story somehow at some point since having recently decided that he would figure into my story-verse. Obviously, his childhood differs from what Archie canon has shown us. Also, some people may think that my interpretation of kiddie Antoine is out of character for him, but I don't agree with his being a little Draco Malfoy-lite or something at that age like a number of people like to depict him as being. I don't think his fears and stiff, pompous attitude kicked in until his early teens.

French translations:

Petite fille: Little girl.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Indeed, Antoine found out he was wrong about Stormblaze learning to love flying. The unicorn couldn't relax for even a second to enjoy the flight. He kept his eyes tightly closed as Antoine piloted the light aircraft smoothly through the sky, and his fingers dug tightly into the armrests of his seat. He had to tell Stormblaze to ease up several times lest he accidentally destroy the armrests by squeezing them too hard. Glancing over at Stormblaze, Antoine wished there was something he could do to soothe his frazzled nerves.

Before they had taken off, some rifling around inside an apartment building on the airfield grounds had turned up several maps, including one of the subcontinent of Sierra Verde. With it, Antoine had done some calculations and estimated that without any delays, they would arrive in Sierra Verde in about three days.

Antoine's mind flashed back to a time when he was ten years old and had been living in Knothole for about a year. When Cat noticed that he and Rotor possessed an interest in aircraft, as the two youngsters had been crafting toy airplanes and trying to get them to glide, he had gathered them together and began teaching the two boys all he knew about planes. The cat had also given them his flight manuals to read over and study. A fond smile creased Antoine's muzzle as he reminisced, missing those simple days. Sonic had tagged along on the first lesson as well just to see what was going on, but his attention span hadn't been the greatest (well, that much hadn't changed, Antoine thought), and he had eventually wondered off to find something else to do. But Antoine had absorbed everything Cat taught him like a sponge. He was happy he had.

In his opinion, flying certainly beat walking everywhere. He believed Dulcy and Tails were extremely fortunate to naturally possess the ability of flight. Sometimes he liked to imagine what it would be like to be able to fly under his own power. Flying a plane was the closest he would ever come to achieving such an experience. One of the things he enjoyed about flying was the sense of freedom that he gained. Whenever he was in an airplane, all his troubles and fears seemed to magically melt away, just like they did whenever he took in the beauty of nature. Up here, among the white wispy clouds, he wasn't Antoine the annoying coward, he was Antoine the pilot.

He was also enjoying the scenery. It was incredible how different everything appeared from way up here. Lakes and other bodies of water became shimmering patches or winding streamers that came in either assorted shades of blue or green or a far less attractive tannish-brown. Buildings looked like children's playthings, and sweeping fields of crops and grass resembled giant checkerboards, but ones decorated in alternating shades of green as opposed to a checkerboard's black and red squares.

As much as he was enjoying this experience, Antoine suddenly remembered that he needed to be cautious. There was no telling if the Order of Ixis, Robotnik's minions, or some other scoundrels might be observing the plane, especially once they arrived at their destination. With that in mind, Antoine resolutely gripped the controls and returned his concentration to flying and keeping an eye out for anything unusual or alarming.

* * *

The coastline of Santiago, Sierra Verde came into view through the airplane's windows. In the halcyon light of morning, it looked like something off of a postcard – a picture-perfect tropical paradise. Sierra Verde consisted of forty municipalities, one of which was Santiago, a more rural area when compared to the others. Sierra Verde's more visually impressive areas, such as the coasts and some of the mountainous regions, Robotnik had chosen to leave alone. This was because these areas were popular vacation spots, so he left them untouched for use for himself and his retinue as well as the wealthy (the latter were required to pay a fee to him to visit there however).

Leery of landing at any runways in case they were being monitored by unfriendlies (though Antoine suspected that their plane had already been noticed), instead Antoine chose to land in what looked to be large empty green or pasture.

Flinging the passenger door open, Stormblaze shot out like a Hunter was hot on his trail. Throwing himself to the ground, he began wallowing around on the grass. "Sweet Gaia, oh how I have missed you! Never will I leave you again!"

Climbing out of the airplane and closing the door behind him, Antoine walked around to Stormblaze's side. He found himself trying not to laugh at the other's melodramatic display before catching himself. He knew he didn't appreciate having others laugh at his fears, and wished to show Stormblaze the same respect. He decided he needed to get Stormblaze's mind on something else. Approaching him, he inquired, "So what are you thinking of this place, _mon ami_?"

Hearing Antoine address him, Stormblaze swiftly jumped back up. Trying to recover some semblance of dignity, he looked around at their surroundings. Thick verdant jungle bordered them on all sides, and even a glorious waterfall could be seen off in the distance. "I have never seen a land quite like this before."

"It is being called a rainforest." Antoine explained, recalling his old geography lessons with Rosie.

Stormblaze held his hands out and looked to the bright blue sky. "I take it that this is one of those dry days then?" He joked before growing serious. "My line of thought is that perhaps we should rest up first before searching for that cave. What say you?"

"That sounds like a good idea. I could be using a nap." Antoine agreed. The two of them went down a small path leading through the dense rainforest. While flying over the inland, neither had seen anything that looked like a hotel or a motel, and hoped to find some residents who would be willing to allow travelers to stay with them. The dampness permeating the air clung uncomfortably to their fur, and their clothing, especially Antoine's uniform, didn't help matters any. Combined with the warm temperature, the conditions weren't exactly hospitable for them. Antoine and Stormblaze were forced to start panting in order to cool themselves down. Thankfully, at the onset of spring, both had lost the thicker fur that had grown in during the fall for protection from the cold. If they had still had it, then they would have been much worse off than they presently were.

"Perhaps the name 'oven forest' would have been more appropriate." Stormblaze mumbled irritably, not bothering to hide his increasingly foul mood. They had seen no other creatures who might be able to help them, and to top it all off, they were wandering around a jungle that was hotter than a dragon's breath. He wasn't really used to this sort of weather, having come from a climate that, while often hot and sunny in the summertime, lacked the sweltering humidity of this place.

Wisely, Antoine decided to give Stormblaze his space, instead quietly studying their exotic surroundings to take his mind off the temperature. Insects, the likes of which he had never seen before, fluttered, wriggled, and crawled everywhere. Flowers of every imaginable color, shape, and size bloomed among the foliage, and every now and then he glimpsed bigger shapes scurrying through the canopy. Though they moved too quickly to be seen, Antoine figured they were just the native animals. It really was an enchanting place.

Some type of reddish-orange colored fruits hanging from a tree caught Stormblaze's eye. They were oblong in shape and around the size of a small eggplant. As he walked past the tree, he reached out and plucked one. Several careful sniffs determined that the unfamiliar fruit was not poisonous. He took a few bites before carelessly flinging it aside.

"Hey!" Upon hearing the indignant, gravelly voice, Stormblaze and Antoine turned to see who had just shouted at them. The speaker was a capybara who stood nearly as tall as Antoine as did. As he came closer, they could see that he did so with a slight limp and that the fur on his muzzle had turned white with age.

"I do not know where you two are from, but around here we do not waste what the land gives us." He scolded, frowning at Stormblaze. Stooping slowly, the rodent picked the fruit up, brushed it off, and began nibbling at the uneaten part.

Embarrassed, Stormblaze fidgeted in place. The capybara was right. If his parents had been there, they too would have reprimanded him for his wastefulness. The heat was causing him to act without thought. "Forgive my thoughtlessness, sir."

"_Monsieur_, could you please be helping us?" Antoine took that opportunity to speak up. "We are searching for the, er… La Boca Del Infierno." He carefully and slowly pronounced the name, not wanting to muddle it and confuse the elder.

The capybara looked at him expressionlessly. His dark brown eyes, the only features he had that were unaffected by time, were as bright and clear as those of a Mobian in their prime, carefully studied Antoine. "And why would you want to go there?"

"Ah _oui_, well, we were both told it was being an amazing lanemark. We are here on vacation and think seeing such a place would be the perfect way to end our trip, you see." Antoine recited the story he and Stormblaze had concocted together. Earlier, the two of them had discussed what to say if any of the locales inquired about what they were doing there in Santiago. After all, while Stormblaze could determine who might be a potential ally and who was a foe, they still did not wish to advertise the real reason for their being there.

"Yes," Stormblaze put in, deciding that it'd be polite to wait until they were done speaking with the stranger to tell Antoine about his latest malapropism. "I have a bit of a fascination with old legends and caves."

If the capybara disbelieved their tale, he gave no outward sign of this. He simply nodded, his aged face still set in its neutral expression. "I know someone who can help. Please, follow me."

Stormblaze found his response a little odd, but could sense nothing devious about the capybara, who then introduced himself as Huanca, a native shaman. Stormblaze suspected Huanca had not fallen for their cover story, probably because of the abilities that his shaman training afforded him.

Stormblaze and Antoine introduced themselves in turn as Huanca guided them through the rainforest. While escorting the pair, he seemed to be scanning the treetops for something or someone. After a certain point he just stopped walking. Taking his index and middle finger, he raised them to his mouth and produced a strange warbling whistle that carried through the trees.

Waiting there, Antoine and Stormblaze wondered what was supposed to be happen when a cheerful-sounding voice called down from above. "Huanca! Hola!" The speaker's words were laced with a noticeable Spanish accent. Looking up in the trees, the three saw the speaker, a scarlet macaw, sitting on one of the branches and peering down curiously at the three of them.

"And what may I do for you on this fine day, old friend?" The bird asked.

"Estefan, this is Edward Equinus and Antoine D'Coolette. They are visitors who wish to see La Boca Del Infierno."

Estefan's prominent beak fell agape. "La Boca Del Infierno? Why would you want to go there? No one _ever_ goes there, and for good reason!"

"My companion and I do not believe in fairy tales like ghosts." Stormblaze seriously answered, folding his arms. Antoine managed to force down a laugh. These days, unicorns could practically be considered fairy tales themselves, so hearing one say he didn't believe in fairy tales struck him as being kind of funny.

Estefan shrugged. "If you say so. But don't say that we didn't warn you. Anyways, I can introduce the two of you to a good guide who can take you to the cave. First though, would you like to come to my home for lunch? It would be rude of me not to welcome visitors to our humble little jungle with a meal."

Antoine waited expectantly to hear Stormblaze's answer. Knowing him, he wouldn't be able to refuse the offer.

"We appreciate your offer and would be most glad to accept, sir." Stormblaze put on an air of humble acceptance, but it was clear to Antoine that the promise of a meal served to improve his mood. Did all unicorns have such big appetites, or was Stormblaze just a glutton, Antoine wondered?

* * *

Estefan's home was located in a large tree. Antoine and Stormblaze waited as Estefan pulled on what he referred to as "his doorbell", a length of vine that traveled up through one of the windows and vanished somewhere inside his house. After a few minutes, a rope ladder was tossed down to them so that they could climb on up to the house itself. It was a very clever idea for an entrance, as an enemy wouldn't be able to easily reach the tree house. Upon initially seeing the house, Stormblaze was skeptical that its floorboards would support his weight, and had reservations about going inside, but Estefan reassured him that the tree house was sturdier then it looked.

Once Antoine and Stormblaze had climbed up and found themselves in what appeared to be a parlor room, they saw Estefan being embraced and enthusiastically kissed all over his face by a female military macaw. Stormblaze rolled his eyes a little at the (decidedly sappy in his opinion) display before clearing his throat.

He was successful in catching the birds' attention. Smiling broadly, Estefan took the green, blue, and crimson-feathered female by the hand and led her up to his guests. "Esmeralda, I want to introduce you to Edward Equinus and Antoine D'Coolette."

Enthusiastically, Esmeralda shook hands with them. "Very nice to meet the both of you! I hope you're enjoying your time here in our lovely town. You're right on time – I just finished making lunch."

'_If these two are secretly in league with the bad guys, then they're two of the nicest collaborators I've ever met.'_ Antoine thought. He and Stormblaze were shuffled into an area the macaws called their dining room, where they and Estefan settled down at the table and made small talk while Esmeralda went back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen as she brought out lunch.

Once Esmeralda was done setting the table, she sat down. "Well, eat up!" She proudly announced, watching Antoine and Stormblaze expectantly.

Not needing to be told twice, Stormblaze dug in. A curious Antoine studied the food on his plate, which consisted of a couple of pastries called empanadas, rice, beans, and fried plantains. It all looked attractive and smelled as delicious as it looked, so he picked up his eating utensils and started eating.

After a few mouthfuls however, Antoine began slowing down. A dreadful burning sensation was spreading throughout his mouth. It felt like he was eating molten lava! Covering his mouth in an attempt to unsuccessfully stifle his harsh coughing, he managed to glance over at Stormblaze to see if he was having any problems. He had stopped eating himself, not faring any better than Antoine. His eyes were bulging, and his mouth hung open as he panted loudly.

Esmeralda glanced at her guests. She and Estefan had been eating with no problems whatsoever. "Oh dear, I hope my cooking isn't too spicy for you."

"It… is a little… warm, _mademoiselle_… " Antoine panted.

"Can't… breathe…" Stormblaze managed to gasp out between coughing fits.

Esmeralda nudged the fruit bowl that served as the table's centerpiece forward, indicating that they should help themselves to some fruit, which the pair eagerly accepted. It helped sooth their burning palates, though it took at least three pieces each for them before the fiery sensation finally subsided.

"And here I thought you two would be made out of tougher stuff!" Estefan exclaimed when things had settled down.

"Well, where I am coming from the food is not being so hot." Antoine replied.

Stormblaze carefully considered the two birds. "Have either of you noticed any strange goings-on in the area recently? Things like unfamiliar sorts about, chanting late at night, odd lights in the forest, activity at La Boca Del Infierno?"

"I thought you said you did not believe in ghosts?" Estefan asked.

"I don't. I suppose I was being deceptive when I told you that Antoine and I were here on vacation. I apologize for misleading you, but we have to be careful in what information we share with others. We're really here looking for someone, a raven. He's a foreigner, like us."

A few sentences in Spanish were rapidly exchanged between the couple, then Esmeralda replied, "We have not seen this raven around."

"It is funny that you should bring up strange incidents though, _señor_," Estefan said. "Over the past four weeks, children have gone missing from the village and another village not too far from here."

Antoine shifted his gaze to Stormblaze. "You are not supposing?..."

"That the Order is behind these kidnapping?" A grim-faced Stormblaze finished. "I would not put it past them. In the research I did on them, I read that they were known to kidnap the young of legendary beings such as centaurs and ogres as well as Mobians to use as slave labor because they were stronger than Overlanders or humans, which led to the Ixian Wars. They have also killed in the name of their infernal deities before. Making live sacrifices is not beneath them."

Antoine swallowed hard. He remembered Tomlan saying that in order for the Order to gain the power needed to free Ixis Naugus from the Void, a blood sacrifice had to be used.

Estefan and Esmeralda stared at their guests. "We're not going to be put in danger because we invited you into our home, are we?" Estefan asked, a look of fear in his eyes.

"Is this raven you're after dangerous? Is he the one taking the _hijos_?" Esmeralda demanded.

"Please, calm yourselves." Stormblaze raised his hand to cut off anymore questions. "I will not lie - yes, the raven and the Mobians working with him are quite capable of being dangerous. We suspect he is the one taking the children. I do not believe that you will be harmed, but I cannot say for certain. That is why you must be careful of who you speak to and need to watch yourselves. We're here to stop these fiends and keep them from hurting anybody else. If you do not desire for us to be here, then my colleague and I will leave. But we would greatly appreciate your help in finding this guide you mentioned previously."

Still looking slightly unsure, Estefan and Esmeralda looked to one another before Estefan glanced between Stormblaze and Antoine. "Alright. We'll help. "

* * *

Estefan and Esmeralda allowed Antoine and Stormblaze to stay at their house and get some sleep before beginning the next leg of their quest. When Antoine and Stormblaze were awakened sometime later, day had turned to twilight.

The macaws led the way as they took Antoine and Stormblaze to go meet Luis, who would hopefully be willing to take them to _La Boca Del Infierno_.

"We should probably warn the both of you," Estefan began. "Luis can be, uh…"

"Cowardly," Esmeralda bluntly interjected. "And greedy. _Very_ greedy. But he is good at what he does."

The couple called for them to stop when they came upon a tall, thin tree that had a hollow located high up on its trunk. Going up to it, Esmeralda rapped on the trunk. "Luis!"

Annoyed grumbling, shuffling, and stirring could be heard coming from inside the hollow, then, a gray weasel-like head appeared, looking down at Esmeralda and then at the three other Mobians standing around the base of the tree.

"What?" The tayra snapped, not bothering to hide the aggravation in his voice.

"Luis," Estefan politely began, "This is Edward Equinius and Antoine D'Coolette. They are in need of a good guide."

Luis studied the two foreigners with bright calculating eyes. "What d'you got to give me? I don't work for free, you know."

Taking the small brown drawstring bag that hung from his belt off, Stormblaze opened it up and fished out a few silver pieces, which he flashed at Luis.

In the blink of an eye, Luis descended the bole of the tree and snatched the coinage from Stormblaze. He bit down on each to test its authenticity, then quickly darted back up the way he came and stashed the six coins in his hollow. Returning, this time the tayra climbed all the way down to the ground, where he faced Antoine and Stormblaze, an expression of boredom on his face. He was small, about the same size as Esmeralda and Estefan. Antoine could look down at him.

"Okay, so where are you two wanting to go?"

"_La Boca Del Infierno_." Antoine and Stormblaze both answered at once.

Luis' dark brown eyes went wide, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he stared at the coydog and the unicorn as if they had just escaped from a mental institution. Then he began laughing heartily, slapping his knees in his amusement.

"_La Boca Del Infierno_, that's a good one! On the way, why don't I take you two to the beach first, and we'll all jump in the surf and play with the sharks?" He looked to the macaws. "Where'd you find these two crackpots?"

"If you will not take us there sir, then I demand my credits back." Stormblaze frostily said.

Luis bounded back up to his hollow. The silver credits came sailing out and landed at Stormblaze's hooves.

"Didn't need it anyways." Luis primly retorted, the inside of the hollow serving to amplify his voice and lend it a slight echo. Only his semi-bushy tail could be seen poking out of the hole.

"Now Luis, just the other day Ortiz heard you complaining about how much you missed the tourist industry and how you wished you had some money." Estefan calmly told him.

Sticking his head out, Luis shot back, "Ortiz is a big mouth and a drunk. Anyways, you two _gringos_ must be out of your _cabezas_ if you think I'm taking you to that hellhole. No amount of credits will – _yeouch_!"

Flying up to the hollow, Esmeralda had landed on a branch close to Luis and grabbed hold of his left ear. She was pulling him towards her, forcing him to follow in order to spare himself further pain.

"You _will_ take these nice boys where they need to go, or so help me, I will do what your mother should've done when you were a kit and give you a couple of good swats on your tail!"

Luis nodded frantically, his face screwed up in pain. "_Si_, _si_, alright already! Just leggo!"

Esmeralda released her grip, and he staggered away, clutching his ear. "My poor ear…" He glared down at the other three males, who were struggling not to laugh.

"Fine, fine, I'll take you there! But – I don't want you slowing me up. I want to get to _La Boca Del Infierno_ and leave as soon as possible. And I'm not setting one paw in that place, got it?"

* * *

The very next day, Antoine and Stormblaze found themselves trudging after Luis in the muggy heat. Having learned there was a river nearby, Antoine had brought up the possibility of traveling by boat, but was told that the idea was out of the question. As Luis explained, the river was often used as a highway of sorts by those who transported illegal items, and it would dangerous to trespass on their territory.

An irate Antoine swatted at the hungry mosquitoes buzzing about his head. It was hard to continue admiring the rainforest's beauty when insects were threatening to drive you mad. "Stormblaze, have I ever told you how much I am hating walking now?"

"Only about fifty times. I still think it is still better than your blasted airplane."

"You will see that airplanes are not only being the smartest way to travel, but one of the safest too!"

"Hey, you _gringos_ shut up!" Luis snapped over his shoulder.

Luis had been on edge for nearly the whole duration of the trek. He hadn't said much other then terse remarks or commands, and seemed to be getting jumpier and jumpier by the minute. Antoine wondered if he feared the cave, or if there was something else in the rainforest that had him worried. Furthermore, something about the tayra's presence was making Antoine himself somewhat uncomfortable. At first he couldn't understand why, but now he thought he had finally figured it out.

'_Was I that difficult to be around when I acted cowardly?'_ Antoine wondered. On second thought, in all likelihood he probably had been, but at least he hadn't possessed such a mercenary attitude like Luis. Maybe what Luis needed was a push in the right direction. Perhaps he had no one to support him, like how Antoine had Stormblaze. Well, who better to give him support then a (mostly) reformed coward?

"Luis," Antoine brightly addressed their guide, "Are you having someone you love to draw strength from?"

Luis regarded Antoine with a flat look before looking up at Stormblaze with an expression that clearly read, "What's he going on about?"

Stormblaze looked back sternly. He realized that Antoine wanted to have a serious conversation with Luis. "Be sarcastic all you wish to, but you may want to listen to him. Antoine, please continue."

"_Merci_, Stormblaze. What I am meaning Luis is that I used to be like you. I was always afraid of being hurt or killed, so when the other Freedom Fighters and I would go out on missions, I would hide behind them so I that would not be the one to face the danger head on. But a very wise lady was telling _moi_ that fear is not bad unless you let it control you. If you are having someone you are loving, then you only need to think about them and what you are having to do protect them from danger."

"First of all, I am not a coward! I'm cautious!" Luis angrily retorted.

"I was telling myself and other Mobians that same thing before," Antoine said, regarding him with sympathy. "I am not trying to insult you. I only want to help."

"Yeah, well, go play head doctor with someone else, _chico_. I didn't need help from anyone when I was a kit, and I don't need any now. Come on."

As Luis stalked ahead, shoving his way through a tangle of low-hanging vines, Stormblaze bent over to whisper to Antoine, "Just say the word, and I will see how far I can punt this flea-bitten tree jumper."

"_Pas_, you probably should not," Antoine whispered back. "Even if he is very rude, he is being the only guide that we are having. If we are angering him, then he might leave us out here or do something else to us."

Although Stormblaze saw the sense in Antoine's advice, he still didn't care for the idea of having to tolerate Luis' behavior, especially if it was for any longer then necessary. Then, curiously enough, he suddenly gave Antoine a wink before calling out to their guide, "So, Luis… I was wondering about something. Have _you_ heard anything about children going missing recently?"

Luis whipped around, a harsh scowl on his face. "Who's askin'?"

Stormblaze shrugged. "Estefan and Esmeralda informed us. What kind of a person would kidnap innocent children?"

Visibly perturbed, Luis kept walking. Antoine listened to the conversation intently, wondering what his friend was up to.

"Personally, I wouldn't put it past Robotnik to do something like this," Stormblaze went on. "After all, everyone knows what a monster he is."

"It's not him." They were unable to see his face, but Luis' voice sounded oddly impassive.

"Oh? Who do you think it is then?"

"It's… hey, why am I telling _you_ this?" Again, Luis stopped to fix them both with an angry stare. "For all I know, you two might be in on it!"

Stormblaze increased his pace to catch up with Luis, Antoine right behind him. "No. That's where you are wrong. We may be outsiders, but we are not in league with this child-thief. We just wish to help. If you know who's doing this, then tell us. _Everything_."

Luis cast his eyes to the ground. "They took my niece."

Both Stormblaze and Antoine's eyes widened at the same time. Neither had expected to hear that.

Luis resumed walking, still talking all the while. "It's not just one person doing it, it's a group. Of Mobians. My brother and his wife were at home asleep when these Mobians took their daughter three weeks ago. He told me that at least two of them came inside, and that they were wearing strange, dark-colored clothing that covered most of their bodies. At first he thought he was just dreaming, but then he realized that what he was seeing was real. One of them saw him, pointed, and started speaking in this weird language. All of a sudden, he says he couldn't keep his eyes open. His wife slept through everything, and by the time they woke up, those Mobians and my niece was gone. I've heard other stories like that before. I don't know who they are, but they're good - good enough to cover their tracks completely. They don't leave tracks or trails to follow."

Aside from that, Luis didn't have much of anything else to share other then rumors, but his story confirmed Stormblaze and Antoine's suspicions about the Order of Ixis operating here in Santiago. Now it was up to them to find the sorcerers and stop them.

* * *

"There it is." Luis pointed at the infamous cave from atop a ridge where the trio was gathered, having hidden themselves. Nestled in a small valley below, the natural structure had something of an air of menace around it. From the outside, it was one of the biggest caves Antoine had ever seen before, larger then even the Cave of Shadows. Other then the three of them, no one else seemed to be around. It was nighttime, so could the Order be out there somewhere carrying out more kidnappings?

"Are you not wishing to go with us?" Antoine asked Luis. "Your niece could be in there."

Luis flinched. "I… I… good luck."

Antoine and Stormblaze watched as he swiftly darted through the undergrowth without another word and was gone. _'Doesn't Luis want to find his niece?'_ Antoine wondered. For a moment he was sorely tempted to yell at Luis, call him a coward, but couldn't bring himself to do it. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he really didn't know how to feel about what he had just witnessed. "I wish I could have helped him."

"You can only help those who wish to help themselves." Stormblaze pointed out.

Antoine nodded in agreement. "I am surprised he was willing to tell us all that information."

"Well, I did give him a bit of a push."

Confused, Antoine frowned before it occurred to him what Stormblaze really meant by that. "You mean you actually used your tel... tele… mind powers on him?"

"Telempathy. This is one of those cases where it was necessary to. We need all the information about the Order we can get."

Returning his attention to _La Boca Del Infierno_, Antoine wondered what awaited them inside. From the way the Deep Power Stones had been described to him, they were small enough to hold in one hand. He fretted about the difficulty of locating such small items, but Stormblaze had told him he had come prepared to deal with such a problem. Before leaving Avalonia, one of the bards had given him something called a seeker stone, a light bluish-gray stone about the size of a fist, which, when in the proximity of the Deep Power Stones, would start glowing.

Noticing movement at the mouth of the cave, Antoine whispered to Stormblaze, "Look!" Their eyes made out the bulky form of an ox, dressed in what seemed to be dark-colored robes, coming out. He stopped near the entrance and stood there, calmly looking around.

"Guard, most likely." Stormblaze observed. "Well, are you ready, little wolf?"

Antoine glanced over at the unicorn, who was taking his longbow off his shoulder. "_Oui_._"_ He patted the hilt of his sabre before giving a start. "Wait - I am having a question. It may sound foolish…"

"What have I told you before? The only foolish question is the one left unasked."

Antoine nodded, recalling that bit of advice that Stormblaze had shared with him. "I have never fought a wizard before. Is there being a special way to fight one?"

Stormblaze had started to string his bow, but momentarily stopped as he answered. "Many magic-users rely heavily on their powers to such an extent that they do not even bother attempting to learn other styles of combat, like what we use. Not all think like that of course, but a good many do. I suspect a number of these wretches are in the latter category. If you were to engage one in hand-to-hand fighting or with a weapon, you could put them down. Also, certain spells take time to perform, and if interrupted, the caster must begin the process all over, so you can take the opportunity to stop them before they complete it. But do so quickly. Do not give them time to recover their wits."

Fitting an arrow to his bow, Stormblaze stood poised. One hand was pulling the bowstring back. He kept a steady eye on the ox, waiting for just the right moment. The types of arrows he employed were massive by Mobian standards, crowned by a sharpened metal broadhead. He took a deep breath and let the arrow fly.

When the arrow suddenly soared out of the darkness like a nocturnal predator swooping down on its prey, the ox didn't even know what hit him. The arrowhead buried itself in his throat. With a strangled cry he collapsed to the ground.

Antoine watched the entire scene unfold before his eyes, horror etched upon his face. "You killed him!" Even though he had stood there and watched Stormblaze string his bow and knew what was going to happen, seeing the results still rattled him.

Lowering his longbow, Stormblaze fixed Antoine with a quizzical expression. "Of course I did. Why do you think I carry this around?" He held up his weapon again. "Or my _spatha_?"

"C-could we not have been finding a better way to deal with him?"

"I wish we could have, but right now we simply do not have that option," Stormblaze sighed. "What if we had knocked him out, but he awakened and told his allies we were here? Then we might wind up getting captured and almost surely slain, and this entire journey would have been for naught. Killing is certainly not something I derive pleasure from, but sometimes there is no other way."

Antoine bit his lower lip as he reflected on Stormblaze's words. He had a point. The Knothole Freedom Fighters had never killed an enemy before, and he knew they would have reacted to what Stormblaze had done just as he had. While he himself had taken a life previously, that of the Skinwalker, he viewed his slaying as an entirely different matter. The Skinwalker hadn't really been a normal Mobian, and in that situation Antoine felt like he had been stopping a deadly monster from hurting others. The ox on the other hand was… well, more like him and Stormblaze, he supposed. He might have a family who may never know why their father hadn't come home that night. But the knights in the stories Antoine enjoyed reading had killed enemies of their kingdoms, and he was aware of the fact that even his father and King Maximilian had cut down their fair share of foes during the Great War. Seeing a Mobian be killed firsthand was entirely different from merely reading or hearing about it. He himself might have to kill tonight, and in future battles to come. The idea was sobering and would definitely take some getting used to.

"Come, let us go before anymore sentries appear." Stormblaze said as he shouldered his longbow, drawing Antoine out of his somber thoughts.

The pair sprinted side by side towards the cave's entrance. Antoine kept his eyes fixed there, away from the ox's corpse and the crimson puddle of blood now beginning to pool around it.

Once they made it to the entrance, almost immediately, a gust of cool, damp air from inside hit them in their faces. Seeing no one else around, the two ventured forward. The interior of the cave was vast. The ceiling arced high over their heads, while a tunnel stretched ahead of them, going into the darkness. The fiery light of torches that had been placed in wall brackets every few feet along the path kept the gloom at bay and illuminated everything in a reddish-orange glow. In spite of himself, Antoine was wary as he looked around. So far, most of his experiences with caves hadn't proven to be positive ones.

Stormblaze decided to take one of the torches for their own use. Through narrow winding tunnels they went, journeying deeper into _La Boca Del Infierno_. Anytime they thought they heard something, they would hide until they felt it was safe to resume their search.

"Tread carefully. This place reeks of death and fear." Stormblaze warned in a low voice, holding the torch aloft as he looked around.

"I am smelling it too." Antoine agreed.

At one point, Stormblaze held his torch out towards the dark, trying to see if he could get a better glimpse of the cavern they were presently in its entirety. It was only then that he and Antoine took notice of the flight of stairs leading down to depths unknown to their left. They might have completely missed them otherwise.

Stormblaze glanced to Antoine. "Shall we?"

"Well, I am guessing that we are not having anything to lose by going down there." Antoine said with a shrug. The winding stairway was too narrow for two Mobians to descend together, so Antoine followed Stormblaze as he carefully made his way down first.

Thirty, forty, fifty minutes passed. Antoine could tell that like himself, Stormblaze wasn't keen on being in here. It was almost tomb-like inside the cave, with the cool stone and the gloom pressing in all around them. The cave was even larger then what either he or Stormblaze had anticipated. At times the ceiling came in low, forcing Stormblaze to stoop to keep from scraping his horn on the ceiling.

Finally coming to the bottom of the stairway, they weren't surprised to find themselves in what appeared to be another cavern. The duo went onward, but Antoine suddenly stopped. He'd just heard some strange noises that he couldn't quite identify. Growing curious, he let his ears lead him to the far right of the grotto, where he thought the noises were originating from. There, a rectangular pit had been hewn into the ground, covered by a heavy mesh net held in place by pegs that had been driven deep into the ground. Peering down into the pit, Antoine gasped in surprise.

Stormblaze came over for a look himself. Gripping the torch tightly, he held it out over the pit to see what was inside. "Well, I'll be…"

Spanish translations:

Cabezas: Heads.

Chico: Man.

Gringos: Foreigners.

Hijos: Children.

Si: Yes.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

In the blaze of the torch flame, two dozen pairs of what Antoine and Stormblaze realized were eyes gleamed like jewels in a bright spectrum of color - white, bright green, crimson, and several others. Stormblaze held the torch at a different angle, causing the eye shine effect to vanish and revealing frightened faces staring up at them from inside the pit. They were the faces of young Mobians: mammals of assorted species, but mostly indigenous ones, such as sloths, otters, and jungle cats, as well as avians, reptiles, and amphibians. Obviously these were the missing children from the villages. The walls of the pit were too steep for them to climb out.

Holding a finger up to his lips, Stormblaze gestured for the youngsters, who were now fearfully whispering among themselves at the sight of the two strangers, to remain silent. Antoine pulled Stormblaze over to the side so that the children would not overhear them. "We must be getting them out of here!"

"I most certainly agree, but we need to find the Stones first."

Antoine was aghast. "But we cannot just leave them in there! What if something is happening to them?"

"Believe me when I say that I do not wish to leave children trapped in such a loathsome place either, but it is imperative that we locate the Stones first. If we do not, then they may not have homes to return to."

Antoine mulled Stormblaze's argument over before reluctantly giving in. "I suppose." It was perfectly logical reasoning, but he was still uncertain about leaving the children. Before the two of them left, he tried making a mental note of what this particular cavern and the tunnels leading to it looked like so that he and Stormblaze could find their way back. The prospect of becoming lost in here was extremely unappealing.

Antoine was beginning to wonder if they would ever find where the Deep Power Stones were being kept. Stormblaze's Seeker Stone hadn't glowed one single time. He tugged on Stormblaze's tunic sleeve to get his attention. "Perhaps we should be finding one of the Order members and make him tell us where the Stones are. We might find them quicker that way."

"If we ever encounter any. Everyone seems to be out for the day." Stormblaze dryly shot back. "But yes, I have considered that option."

Other than their whispering and the steady drip-drip-drip of water droplets falling from the stalagmites that hung from the ceiling, silence had reigned inside the cave since the duo had first set foot there. Consequently, the sound of numerous pairs of feet treading the ground was easily discernible to their ears, though of course Antoine first to hear it. Not wanting to speak in case he alerted whoever was coming their way to his and Stormblaze's presence, he motioned wildly for Stormblaze to hide, pointing in the direction of where the footsteps were coming from and then over at a narrow side passage. Stormblaze realized something was happening, but since he couldn't hear anything yet, was confused as to exactly what his friend wanted him to do until Antoine grabbed him by the sleeve and started pulling him towards the side passage. Stormblaze snuffed the torch, casting them back into darkness. Crouching down in an effort to hide themselves better, they waited.

Those responsible for the footsteps were now close enough for Antoine and Stormblaze to make out. It turned out to be a group of Mobians in long dark robes, similar to the one the ox guard had on. Their clothing identified them as being members of the Order of Ixis. They had their hoods pulled up over their heads, obscuring their faces from view. Numbering fourteen in all, the Mobians were walking side-by-side in rows of two.

As the silent procession passed them by, the two kept perfectly still, though they were prepared to draw arms and fight if necessary. When the figures of the last two robed figures in the procession were growing smaller and smaller as they moved further down the tunnel, Stormblaze jerked his head in their direction. "Let us follow them."

He and Antoine trailed after the Order members, careful not to get too close, and were prepared to dart back into the shadows if necessary. The hooded Mobians unknowingly led them to a place where the pair saw three doors that had been made into the rock wall. Stormblaze held a hand out in front of Antoine, making sure he didn't go any further. They waited the procession walked out of sight, and once they were gone, Stormblaze and Antoine approached the doors.

"Are you thinking the Stones could be in one of these rooms?"

"Well," Stormblaze removed the Seeker Stone from inside a tanned leather bag hanging from his belt. "I don't know what the range for this thing to be effective is, but let's find out." He held it out towards the first door while Antoine watched. When nothing happened, he went onto the next door. Still, the Seeker Stone remained its usual cool bluish-gray color. If it didn't glow for the last door, then they were going to have to move on and continue searching, as much as Stormblaze dreaded the idea.

As he stood before the third door and thrust the Seeker Stone at it, the rock began throwing off a dim blue glow, earning a sigh of relief from the unicorn and a thrilled gasp from Antoine. Putting the Seeker Stone back in his bag for the moment, Stormblaze grabbed the doorknob in one hand and pulled. It came off in his hand, along with a small portion of the wooden door. He set it aside and pushed the door open. No doubt the damaged door would be noticed if someone were to come along, but Stormblaze was counting on the Seeker Stone to help them quickly find the Deep Power Stones. Then they could go back for the youngsters and then finally get out of this Source-forsaken place.

The large room that they found themselves looking into appeared to be an old-fashioned library or a study of some sort. It seemed to be empty, so the pair entered. As they did, Antoine voiced his thoughts to Stormblaze. "This is seeming to be too easy, no?"

Stormblaze pondered over that. "Hmm. Can't say for sure, but I hope things keep going our way." Taking out his Seeker Stone again, he walked around while slowly waving it through the air. "Let's look along these shelves. The Stone glows even more over here." He indicated the far right end of the tall bookshelf that had been built along the length of the back wall.

While Stormblaze went to work pulling books off the shelf, opening the thicker ones in the off-chance that they had been hollowed out and the Stones stashed in them, Antoine looked elsewhere. Not seeing anything that looked like a container that might be storing the Stones anywhere, he moved some books aside and started closely examining the shelf itself. Seeing Stormblaze quizzically regarding him, he explained, "What if there is a hidden passageway here, and that is where they are hiding the Stones? I am remembering reading about things like secret passages in history books before."

Impressed, Stormblaze nodded his approval of the idea. "Good thinking, little wolf!"

"I suppose it is, but I'm afraid neither of you will ever get to find out whether you're right or not." An oily voice suddenly broke into their discussion. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere.

Surprised and alarmed, Antoine and Stormblaze scanned their surroundings for the speaker, but saw nobody else there with them. Neither could Stormblaze's telempathy detect any presence other then Antoine's.

The voice continued mocking them. "I guess I should welcome you mortals to our humble abode. I can't say that we've ever had too many willing visitors com see us, so this should prove interesting."

"I… I do not know where he is," Antoine told Stormblaze. "The only thing I am hearing is his voice, and I cannot smell anything!"

"Ah yes, it's a very special trick that I like to use to throw my victims off. Works very well, wouldn't you agree?" The mysterious speaker sounded quite pleased with himself.

Drawing his spatha, Stormblaze roared, "Cease your nattering! If you have any guts, then show yourself and face us like warriors!"

"So eager to face death then, are we? Very well!" Antoine could envision the speaker sneering as he said that. Several members of the Order of Ixis suddenly swarmed into the library like ants, a number of them carrying torches. They came to a halt, maintaining a safe distance from the two questers and their bladed weapons. One figure among them separated from the others to face Antoine and Stormblaze. He lowered his hood, revealing himself to be a raven.

"Ah, Mathias Poe, I presume? The dark sorcerer and crook?" Stormblaze asked.

_"Sorcerer."_ Mathias corrected him, scowling. He was the disembodied voice who had been mocking them previously. "I'm afraid I don't know who you are."

"It doesn't matter who I am. Just know that we are the ones who will right the wrongs that you and your friends here have committed." Stormblaze coolly replied.

"Ha!" Mathias let out a harsh caw of a laugh. "Awfully confident, aren't we?"

Stormblaze shrugged. "Well, you lot aren't exactly making us quiver in fear." Antoine nodded his agreement.

Poe looked at Stormblaze as though he was lower than dirt. "Well, my friend here is going to have to remedy that!" He raised a finger to point to someone behind Stormblaze.

Spinning around to see who Poe was referring to, Stormblaze found himself caught in the jaw by a colossal punch. Staggered by the blow, he looked through pain-blurred eyes to see his latest adversary, a lion, glaring at him. The big cat must have come in while he was distracted with the fell magicians, but from where or how Stormblaze couldn't say. The muscle-bound Mobian was as tall as he was, and with the metallic gray armor plates protecting his shoulders and the matching gauntlets he wore, looked like a warrior. Though the battleaxe he grasped in one hand advertised that fact nicely as well.

"A cheap shot? You fight like one of _them_." Stormblaze defiantly spat as he fronted the lion, referring to the magicians around them.

Either taking offense at Stormblaze's slight against his allies or the implication that he fought like a coward, the lion roared angrily and launched himself at Stormblaze. This time though, Stormblaze was prepared. The lion swung his battleaxe at him, but Stormblaze twisted out of the weapon's deadly path and the axe head flew harmlessly past him.

As the lion's momentum carried him forward, Stormblaze swung his spatha at him, but the lion proved to be quicker than expected. Twisting around, he raised his battleaxe and used the haft to block the attack. It was axe versus sword as the two fighters struggled to overpower each other, but they seemed to be evenly matched in terms of raw strength and skill.

Antoine watched the battle in mingled awe and shock before coming to his senses. Stormblaze looked like he was handling himself well enough, but that brute he was facing certainly didn't look like a pushover. Pulling his sabre, he raced towards the action, but a dark shadow leapt into his path and cut him off. Recognizing who it was, Antoine gasped, then glared - it was the same spider who killed Tomlan!

Rising from her crouching position, Uma Arachnis studied him with narrowed eyes. In previous battles, Antoine had allowed his emotions, namely fear, anger, and pride, to get the best of him. He swore he wouldn't let it happen again. Drawing in a deep breath, he tried to set his emotions aside and focus on his enemy while silently calling on his inner power at the same time. He assumed the _en guarde_ stance, spreading his legs a shoulder's width apart and holding his dominant sword arm out in front of him, keeping his sword pointed at Uma's chest.

Uma still just stood there, watching him keenly. It seemed as though she did not want to be the one to make the first move, much to Antoine's irritation. He charged, trying to rush her hard. But Uma set her feet and sidestepped as Antoine drew up close, moving along with his momentum and turning it against him as she caught him and swung him at the wall. Rebounding, he struck at her a second time. She deflected the attack with her _ninjato_ sword, but not quickly enough. A thin dark line of blood welled up from the spot on her arm where she had been cut by his sabre.

Turning on a dime, Antoine faced Uma, reassuming the _en guarde_ position. For her part, Uma seemed surprised as she stared at her injured arm. Then, her eyes met Antoine's. Giving him a slow, deliberate nod (he didn't understand why, and the fact that he couldn't see any facial expression that she might have been making didn't help any), she pointed her _ninjato_ at him before effortlessly sprinting towards him. Eyes going wide at the sheer speed of her charge, Antoine prepared to meet her head on.

They met in a clash of metal. The light from the Order's torches caught their blades, turning them into flashes of silver as mammal and arthropod fought rapidly and furiously. Their fight was on slightly more even footing now, but Uma still held the agility advantage due to her lighter build and species, and had experience on her side as well. It took everything that Antoine had to keep from being skewered at several points. He could see that her eyes were dancing animatedly. If he didn't know any better, he would say that she seemed… happy?! How bizarre. He wondered if that same look had been in his own eyes back when he was under the thrall of his powers. His own expression was one of serious concentration. He was trying to see if there was something in Uma's fighting style that could be exploited. According to Stormblaze, the art of combat was more than just hacking away at someone or hitting them - one had to observe the opponent, read and predict their moves, and look for their weaknesses. Unfortunately, as far as he could tell, Uma didn't seem to have any.

The Order, in the meantime, was standing well off to the sides of the room watching the four-way battle and shouting encouragement to their own warriors.

Noticing Uma motion at him, Antoine quickly jumped to the side. A line of webbing struck the spot where he had been standing only seconds before. A few strands of spider silk weren't anything to worry about, but he didn't want to be stationary and end up getting hampered by the stuff or have his sabre snatched away from him again. He scrambled to avoid the webbing that Uma was now firing at him like bullets as she pursued him, but fighting inside the library wasn't like fighting out in the open. There really wasn't a great deal of space to maneuver around in, and all four combatants had to avoid bumping into furniture and other objects.

Seeing that Antoine was proving to be a difficult target, Uma dispensed with her webbing. Antoine tried rushing her again, hoping to get in close and take her off guard before she could mount a defense, but a swift kick to his chest sent him skidding across the floor and crashing into the shelf. He tried in vain to shield himself as a shower of books rained onto him. This wasn't going well; he could feel himself beginning to tire. What if his powers completely failed him again?

Seeing Uma coming straight for him, he grabbed for his sabre, but grabbed a book instead. _'I_ would g_rab the wrong thing!'_ he thought in frustration. Feeling desperate, he held the book out in front of his chest like a shield, shut his eyes, and turned his head as Uma bore down on him with her _ninjato_. He didn't want to witness himself being run through.

Her _ninjato_ pierced the book, but stopped when the point was only about an inch away from his chest. The book's thickness prevented it from going any further. Thinking fast, he roughly twisted his impromptu shield around, causing Uma to suddenly lose her grip on her blade. Tossing both book and _ninjato_ aside, he pounced at the surprised spider and knocked her down to the ground. One punch to the jaw ensured that the ninja would be out of the fight for a while.

As he looked at his vanquished foe, a thought occurred to Antoine. Curious, he bent down beside the spider and removed the cowl covering her head. He was shocked at what he discovered. _"Vous êtes une femme?!"_

Suddenly, pain seared through his shoulders. Mentally, he cursed himself for not paying more attention to what was going on around him. A pained growl escaped him as he tried to see who or what was attacking him now. He found himself staring at a feline face whose black lips were parted in a warped grin, the bright yellow eyes meeting his own gaze. The cat was standing over him, and it was his claws that were hooked into Antoine's shoulders.

"Get off!" Antoine shouted in French, trying to strike out at the cat, but for some reason his arm didn't want to cooperate. The pain in his shoulders was spreading, coursing through his arms, his chest, and into the rest of his body. Not only was he in pain, but he was feeling weaker and weaker by the moment. At the same time, he took notice of a strange yellow glow enveloping him. Part of his mind dimly registered it as a magic spell, likely the handiwork of the cat.

No longer able to remain upright, Antoine fell limp. The cat withdrew his claws, and without anything supporting him, Antoine collapsed to the ground.

"That's right… go to sleep, mutt…" The cat crooned softly.

Stormblaze had still been fighting furiously when he had heard Antoine yell. He knew it would be folly to take his eyes away from the lion and didn't do so, even though he feared that Antoine was in serious peril. "Antoine! Are you okay?" He called out, hoping to get an answer.

The lion laughed. "Worrying about that runty friend of yours?" He asked, his gravelly voice making him sound like he was continually growling. "Such weakness!"

Stormblaze tried to tune him out, ducking a blow from the axe that would've taken the top of his head right off had it connected. He brought his spatha up, but with a light spin of his axe, the lion caught him off guard with a backswing. The flat of the heavy axe-head knocked Stormblaze to the ground as it struck him. He managed to struggle to his hooves, but a kick to the face sent him reeling back.

Moving to stand over his enemy, who in spite of his aching head and bloody nose was still attempting to get up, the lion hefted his battleaxe over his head, preparing to deliver the killing blow. Poe and his fellow sorcerers watched expectantly.

"Kodos, halt!" Kodos, the lion, and the other Order members turned to see a goat come forward.

"You better have one good reason as to why this intruder shouldn't be executed, Damocles…" Poe threatened.

"That I do," Damocles evenly replied. "You may have this one killed if you really wish to. But you'll be the one who'll have to explain to the master why you killed a unicorn instead of capturing and interrogating him…"

The Order members gasped and began talking excitedly among themselves. Lying on the ground, a very conscious but injured Stormblaze listened in growing horror.

Poe scoffed disbelievingly, but now sounded less sure of himself. "A unicorn? Him?" A short pause, then: "Fine, bring him and his friend to the cells."

Stormblaze gave a sharp snort as he felt several pairs of hands seize at and restrain him, and shoved some of them away. "Keep away, you -" A strong-smelling cloth was clamped over his nose, cutting him off. The odor permeating the cloth, a mixture of cloying sweetness and the unnatural harsh stink of chemicals, overwhelmed his senses and blurred his vision, until there was nothing but blackness.

* * *

In the gloom of his bare cold cell, Antoine dolefully regarded the manacle encircling his left wrist from where he sat on the hard ground. He could only move so far before the five-foot length of chain the manacle was attached to pulled him back. He had tried to see if he could free himself, but the manacle fit too snugly and there were no tools around for him to try and pick the lock with. And even if there had been any, he had never actually picked a lock before. He probably should have paid more attention to Slipp whenever the Yorkshire terrier had been going on about one of his "jobs", he thought.

Earlier, he had awakened to find himself locked inside the cell, and was alarmed when he did not see Stormblaze anywhere. As it turned out though, the Order had imprisoned him in the cell beside Antoine's. He correctly assumed they were still in the cave, as he still smelled that same sickly-sweet stench he and Stormblaze had smelled earlier – the odor of death. They shared a barred window between them, but as the window was just out of Antoine's view, he was unable to actually see Stormblaze. He could hear his breathing though. Antoine wondered if he was awake or not.

The entire time the absence of his powers weighed heavily on him. The image of the black cat mocking him while he leeched his powers out of him flashed through Antoine's mind for the umpteenth time. 'Now you're back to being the same old weakling you always were.' A dark voice that he thought sounded disconcertingly like the Skinwalker's taunted him in the back of his mind. It was just like how everything else in his life seemed to be taken from him eventually, Antoine miserably reflected. He supposed his streak of good luck had to come to an end sometime.

Feeling utterly hopeless and defeated, Antoine buried his face in his hands. He didn't know how he and Stormblaze were going to get out of this one. They were completely at their captors' mercy. They had failed those children, they had failed the unicorns, and they had failed Mobius.

"Antoine?"

Heartened to hear his mentor's voice, Antoine sprang to his feet, his chain producing a metallic clinking and scraping as it moved. "Stormblaze!" Wincing at how loud he sounded in the confined space, he lowered his voice just in case any guards were nearby. "Are you alright?"

"I have been through worse," Stormblaze replied, sounding as though this whole affair was nothing more than a minor annoyance, which stirred Antoine's admiration for him. When he had initially come to, Antoine had been frightened, not only worried for Stormblaze but fearful about what would happen now that they had been caught and had failed to retrieve the Deep Power Stones.

"But enough about me," Stormblaze went on. "What of your condition?"

"Well, they have _moi_ chained up like a common criminal, but I am not being worried," he replied, attempting to sound as cavalier as Stormblaze did. "Can you not be breaking the chain?"

"I am afraid not. They must be magicked." Stormblaze replied, frustration evident in his voice. Then, there was a deep sigh from his cell. "I am truly sorry for all of this, Antoine. I should never have gotten you involved with my glory's problems in the first place."

"There is being no need for you to apologize. It was _mes_ choice to be coming with you, and I am very happy that I did. If I had not, then I would still be stuck in Knothole, continuing to be doing absolutely nothing and embarrassing myself. But… but I am not knowing how I can help you now. I cannot fight anymore."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Antoine shut his eyes as though he had been dealt a physical blow before finally answering the perplexed unicorn. "I am not knowing if you were seeing what happened during the battle against the Order, but one of them – _le noir chat_ -" he practically spat, "Was using some sort of spell on me. It took mon powers away. Now I am useless, just like before."

"Antoine, Antoine… You may no longer possess the powers the Thunderbird gave you, but that does not mean you are useless. You are anything but. Never allow anyone to make you believe otherwise."

_'Says the unicorn with super-strength, telempathy, and healing powers.'_ Antoine wanted to bitterly retort, but instead he just said, "Okay, so I am having good hearing. But no matter how you are looking at it, that is still nothing compared to what you can do, or Sonic, or -"

"Do not think that power is everything, because it is not! And for the Source's sake, stop comparing yourself to others so much!" Stormblaze bellowed. _"You are not me, you are not Sonic, you are_ not _your father!"_

His outburst startled Antoine into silence. It must've surprised Stormblaze too, because he fell silent for a moment before speaking again in a more normal tone. "You are your own person, and that makes you special because you are the only person like you in the entire world. And as for power, true power comes from one's mind, heart, and soul, and the harmony between the three. Power like that can surpass even magic or incredible strength or what have you. No one, not even some wizard, can ever take those things away from you."

"Heart, mind, and soul are still not meaning anything when you are fighting sorcerers who can blast you to bits with their magic. There must be hundreds of other Mobians out there who would be more helpful to you then I am."

Stormblaze snorted. "Truly I have never seen anyone underrate themselves as much as you do. Yes, you're not perfect – no one is. You can be overly excitable and smug and silly, but let me tell you, I would not trade our friendship for anything in the world. By the Source, you could barely even wield a blade before I met you, and yet you still loyally followed after your cohorts whenever they went into battle. You went into the wilderness by yourself in search of a quest! Then not only do you follow me around on this mad journey, but you actually manage to stomach being around me for eight months! Let me tell you, that is no mean feat! Does none of that mean anything to you?"

The volume of Stormblaze's voice had started out low as it typically tended to be, but gradually rose as he continued, and contained a current of strength that couldn't be easily ignored. "Now, you can sit in there and continue feeling sorry for yourself, or you can pick yourself up and continue helping me, work at becoming a better warrior, and proving all your detractors wrong. Now what say you?"

After all that, Antoine didn't really know what to say. He supposed that he could keep brooding, but little by little he had come to understand that in doing so nothing would ever get accomplished. Stormblaze was right. If he was willing to place his faith in Antoine, then Antoine was not about to let him down.

"I… I think I was needing that." Antoine appreciatively began. But before he could continue, his ears flicked forward. "Someone is coming!" He whispered sharply, tensing up.

Immediately Stormblaze fell silent. Not several minutes later, someone came to stand in front of his cell. Antoine could barely make the visitor out from his position or catch a hint of their scent, and doubted he'd be able to see him or her even if he moved as close to the bars as his chain allowed.

"What are you wanting, you miserable old blighter?" Stormblaze snidely addressed whoever it was.

"And here I thought the two of you would appreciate a visitor," The speaker smoothly said, obviously pretending to be hurt. Antoine recognized the voice as belonging to Matthias Poe. "Anyways, the rest of the Order and I were having a discussion, and we all agreed that the blood of a unicorn would be far more potent for our ritual then the blood of some scruffy jungle-brats."

"Unicorn? Where?" Antoine could picture Stormblaze acting like he was confused.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Poe's cheerfully malicious tone changed to one of fury in an instant. "I know what you are!"

"You must be mad. I am no unicorn, just a common horse and no more." Stormblaze insisted.

"One of my compatriots saw through your glamour earlier, so we used a spell to confirm it."

"Well, if it is my blood you wish to have, then perhaps you would like to come in here and take it?" Although Stormblaze's voice was light, affable even, Antoine knew full well that if he got his hands on Poe he would kill him without any hesitation.

Poe laughed. "You would like that unicorn, wouldn't you? Well, you'll just have to content yourself with fantasies of killing me. Exactly where did you come from anyways? Unicorns are a bit of a rarity these days." When Stormblaze didn't answer, he just laughed. "I guess the Overlanders missed a few."

"Actually, I have a question for you, Poe. Since I am to be the sacrifice now, what happens to the Stones?"

"Oh don't you worry, our ritual still requires them. To think that those little beauties still would've been collecting dust on your island had I not liberated them! Tell me, does it anger you, knowing how close you and your friend were to getting them before getting caught?"

Aside from a brief glance into his cell, Poe hadn't paid much attention to Antoine. Antoine wondered what the Order had in store for him, but knowing the things they were capable of, was certain that he already knew the answer. Listening to Poe taunt Stormblaze, Antoine felt himself grow angry. He moved towards the front of his cell.

"Leave him alone!" He snarled at Poe. "You and the rest of your friends are nothing but trash! No, you are worse than trash!"

Storming over to confront Antoine, the long feathers on the nape of the raven's neck bristled in anger as he glared through the bars at him. "Arrogant little beast! Blast Uma Arachnis and her misguided sense of honor! If I had been there when she had thrashed the two of you the first time, I would've ordered her to lop your heads off!"

"But you weren't there because you are too much of a lazy coward to do your own dirty work." Stormblaze brightly returned.

For moment it looked like Poe was about to practically explode with rage, but then his anger just suddenly seemed to melt away. "I trust that the both of you are using your time in here constructively, because tomorrow you likely won't live to see another day." Smirking darkly, he walked away.

* * *

The next morning, when the first shafts of sunlight peeked through the clouds, the Order awakened their prisoners and marched them out to a large clearing nearby. Strangely enough, the area was devoid of plant life, with only gravel and dirt littering the ground, while closer to the cave, boulders of varying sizes stood like silent spectators. It was there that Antoine was, watching the goings-on taking place at the center of the clearing.

A large circle had been etched into the earth there, with a second circle drawn inside it. At the center of the smaller circle, Stormblaze had been tied down to the ground. Silver bindings that had been created from pure concentrated magic were lashed tightly around his wrists and pasterns and held in place by metal pegs, keeping him from breaking free. He lay flat on his back, with his arms and legs stretched out. In spite of his precarious position though, Stormblaze still did not hesitate to hurl insults at his and Antoine's captors, even when several of them took advantage of his helplessness and kicked or struck him several times. At one point, one Order member had made a show of bringing out a whetstone and sharpening a wicked-looking knife, presumably the one that was to be used for the ritual, on it in plain view of Stormblaze. If Stormblaze was frightened or apprehensive, then he refused to show it, only telling the sorcerer to "take all that blasted noise elsewhere". Nearby, the frightened and confused children from the village were huddled together, being closely guarded by Uma and two mages.

Antoine watched these proceedings with revulsion and anger. Stormblaze was already restrained, so there was no need to treat him so brutally. He guessed that Stormblaze's apparent lack of fear about the situation angered them and was causing them to lash out at him. Antoine also could not understand the purpose of bringing the children, who were supposedly no longer the intended sacrificial victims, out to witness the grotesque display. These Mobians were just as heartless and cold as Robotnik was, and that was saying a lot. Furthermore, Antoine was upset by the way they had chosen to detain him.

After their last encounter with Antoine, the Order had decided to take no chances. An iron collar attached to a heavy chain had been fastened around his neck. The chain was secured by an iron peg that had been driven deep into the ground. Not only could he not go anywhere, but it was also a gesture designed to degrade him. The key that could unlock his collar was in the possession of a salamander who had been the one to chain him up.

When the salamander left, instead of wasting time despairing over his plight, Antoine had immediately gotten to work trying to figure out a way to escape. The Order had seemingly left him to his own devices, too preoccupied by the upcoming ritual and confident that he would not be able to escape, especially since Black Secret (the name of the black cat, as he had found out) had stolen his powers.

Antoine surveyed his surroundings. Nothing but rocks and dirt. What could he do with any of that? His eyes landed on a rock that was just barely within his reach. It had a rough, spade-like shape to it and was about the size of his fist. Furtively he inched his way towards the rock, and, stretching an arm out, grabbed it. Returning to his original position with his prize, he continued pondering over his situation. He might not be able to remove the collar or pull the peg up with his bare hands, but he could dig the peg up.

_'The Order isn't as smart as they think they are!'_ Antoine thought, scrapping furiously away at the ground around the peg with his rock. He took advantage of a nearby boulder, using it to hide his activities. The peg was buried deep, and Antoine worked with the zeal of a fanatic, glancing up occasionally to make sure he wasn't being observed. If he couldn't free himself in time, then Stormblaze would be... Antoine shook his head vigorously, not wanting that particular thought floating around in his mind. He was determined not to allow any harm to befall the one person who was willing to stand up for him, who taught him how to fight, and who had shown him that he was not worthless and weak but stronger then he believed he was.

For the Order of Ixis, the excitement in the air was palpable. Many of them were congregating together to the side, away from Stormblaze and Antoine. A few were busy placing long torches, each of which held a black candle, into the ground in a circular pattern around the area where the ritual was to be taking place. Imperiously, Poe watched as Damocles came forward bearing the same curved knife that had been sharpened earlier on a dark red velvet pillow. He was followed by a white rabbit doe who held a small black lacquered box and three more senior members of the group.

"It's about time." Poe remarked with a snap of his sharp beak as the knife and the box were set down on a small table that had been set up.

Damocles frowned but refrained from replying. The rabbit however, wasn't about to let Poe get away with that. "Calm yourself, raven. We're here, aren't we?"

"Morven is correct," One of the senior wizards quickly intervened when Poe shot the rabbit, Morven, a withering look. "Let us proceed with the ceremony."

Poe, Morven, Damocles, and the other three wizards formed a circle around Stormblaze. Nobody was paying any attention to Antoine. Although by this point his hands were hurting from how hard he was gripping the rock and the length of time he had spent digging, Antoine didn't care. When he had dug down nearly a foot, he set the stone aside. Taking hold of the chain with both hands, he braced himself and pulled.

The peg came free. Antoine stood there for a second, chain still in hand. Wearily he looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed that he was no longer chained up. He had no way to get rid of the awful collar, but decided to worry about that later.

Noticing a gray-furred form hiding up in the branches of a tree, Antoine slunk closer to see what it could be. He stared at the figure for a few minutes longer before finally recognizing the grass-green bandanna around its neck. The other Mobian must have recognized him as well, for he quickly descended to the ground.

"Luis?! What are you doing here?"

"I was just passing through and saw you guys, so I wanted to see if anyone wanted to play a game of _carioca_." The tayra dryly replied before snapping, "What do you think I'm doing here? Saving you and the _caballo's_ tails!"

Ignoring Luis' sarcasm, Antoine said, "I will be distracting the Order. While I am doing that, go free the children and Stormblaze!"

"If you say so." Luis replied, sounding rather relieved that he had the seemingly easier job. "Wait, wait - who's Stormblaze?"

Antoine could have slapped himself just then. "Nobody! I was meaning go free Edward!"

Still looking at Antoine like he was crazy, Luis nonetheless nodded and dashed off. Antoine's attention returned to the cultists. Now what would be a good way to get their attention?

"Hello!"

Practically turning as one entity at the sound of the heavily-accented voice behind them, the Order saw Antoine standing there, holding up one of their torches.

"Were you needing this?" He waved the object tauntingly at them. They could see that he had already uprooted and broken two other torches.

"Someone stop him! He'll ruin everything!" Poe furiously screeched, pointing at Antoine.

As Kodos and a number of mages swarmed towards him, Antoine bolted, heading for the rainforest and tossing aside the torch as he did. He also made sure to keep hold of his chain, not wanting it to get caught on anything and slow him down. He was forced to weave and shove his way through the undergrowth, ignoring the thorny vines that occasionally tore at his clothing and face. However, his size did allow him to maneuver through the dense plant growth somewhat easier than some of his pursuers could. He yelped in alarm as a wave of red energy streaked right past his face, just narrowly missing him - one of the mages had targeted him with a spell. He didn't know how close the Order members actually were, but didn't dare look back. He could hear the unrelenting pounding of Kodo's heavy feet as they propelled him forward, the deep angry rumbles and grunts emanating from his throat, and branches and plants either being snapped or pushed aside as he plowed through the rainforest like a living engine of destruction. Antoine didn't really know how he was going to handle that brute just yet, but did know that he needed to buy Luis as much time as possible.

As he ran, Antoine desperately searched for somewhere to hide. He spotted a felled tree nearby. Its large trunk curved towards its center, leaving a small space between it and the ground. Moving fast, he squirmed under the tree and pulled himself towards the widest part, the base where the roots started to form, in an effort to better hide himself. He lay there and held his breath, too scared to even breathe for fear of giving away his location. From his hiding place, he could hear footsteps and voices coming closer and closer.

Antoine's pursuers stopped near the tree, trying to figure out where he had gone. Finally, one of the mages made himself heard over the clamor of his cohorts' chatter. "Morven! Fatin! Come with me, we'll go this way! The rest of you, check down there!"

He heard them run off. When the din grew distant, Antoine carefully peeked out. Seeing nothing, he grew bolder and stuck his entire head out for a better look around. There were no bloodthirsty sorcerers eager to kill him waiting to pounce. Crawling on out, he grinned triumphantly to himself. It looked like he had given them the slip. Due to his shortcomings, many tended to underestimate Antoine's intelligence. Coyotes as well as poodles, as he reminded himself, were known to be quite intelligent.

Pleased with himself, he began the trek back to assist Stormblaze and Luis when a large, bulky, golden tan-colored something jumped from out of nowhere and landed directly in front of him. Alarmed, Antoine jumped back, falling onto his backside in the process.

"Now I have you! You have meddled for the last time, Mercian!"

Antoine found himself staring up at Kodos, whose bearded face was twisted into a feral snarl as his terrible gaze held Antoine's own. Antoine froze in fear and indecision. He didn't have a clue where his sabre was - the Order had relieved him and Stormblaze of their weapons after imprisoning them. He needed to improvise. Taking the chain in one hand, he swung out at Kodos' face with it.

His aim was true. A thunderous roar of pain erupted from Kodos and he recoiled, clutching at his right eye. Antoine didn't waste any time in getting to his feet, wanting to put as much space between Kodos and himself as fast as possible. As he started fleeing in the other direction though, his chain was pulled on with enough force to gag him as the collar pressed tightly against his throat, cutting off his breathing. He was yanked right off his feet. Brilliant starbursts exploded in his vision and blood roared in his ears.

After a moment, Antoine started returning to his senses. He realized he was on his back and looking up at the forest canopy. His neck and throat hurt tremendously. Had his chain become caught on something? Trying to fight past the pain, he struggled to sit up.

Kodos, who had mostly recovered from Antoine's attack, wasn't done yet. Dropping Antoine's chain, which he had snatched at the last second as he had tried to escape, he grabbed Antoine by his right leg, easily lifting him into the air before swinging him back down at the ground. The shock of being smashed into the ground with such force painfully rattled Antoine's teeth and took his breath away. It was too much to take, and he lay motionless when the lion dropped him to the ground. Flexing his long black claws, Kodos moved in towards his prey, intending to finish what he had started.

Translations:

French:

Le noir chat: The black cat.

Vous êtes une femme ?!: You're a woman?!

Spanish:

Caballo: Horse.

Carioca: A type of card game similar to rummy played in Latin American.


End file.
